


A new family

by Egwene



Series: The fifth Turtle [1]
Category: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (TV 2012)
Genre: Acceptance, Developing Relationship, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, F/M, Falling In Love, Family, Family Bonding, Friendship, Getting to Know Each Other, Loss of Parent(s), Loss of Trust, Past Relationship(s), Self-Acceptance, Self-Esteem Issues, Sibling Bonding, Trust, Trust Issues, Unconditional Love, regaining faith
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-24
Updated: 2018-02-21
Packaged: 2019-01-22 13:42:36
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 25
Words: 72,934
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12482948
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Egwene/pseuds/Egwene
Summary: A story of how Venus and her father are attacked, causing them to unwillingly leave their old life.In New York they stumble into unexpected allies, and with patience and kindness, Venus slowly learns how to trust again as the turtles puzzle toghether what she has been through.Further on, on a crooked road, a relationship developes into something deeper.Disclaimer: I do not own any of the TMNT charachters.





	1. Remain hidden

Remain hidden

The wind was cold and piercing tonight. The fierceness of it had driven most citizens to stay indoors at this late hour, probably huddling under cozy blankets in front of buzzing TVs. No one would willingly step outside on an evening such as this if you had a choice.  
But not everyone had.  
The shadow crouched in the alley, remaining dead still as it strained it’s ears to perceive any hints of danger approaching. The shadow was exhausted after hours of lurking and keeping hidden. It had already had three encounters, the last one earning it a too narrow escape. Focus was beginning to fade, but the shadow kept shaking it’s head to clear the mind. For a mistake now would most definitely be fatal.   
A faint sound made it whip around to face the direction from where it came, and hurriedly changed position in order to remain hidden as the sound approached. It was the sound of robotic footsteps, stomping the streets as it got closer. The shadow tightened it’s grip on the weapons, preparing to flee if possible or fight if need be.  
Luckily, the footsteps stopped before the robots came to close, and the shadow was able to overhear their conversation while remaining in the dark.  
“Kraang thinks this is the place which is known as the meeting place.”   
“Yes”, responded the other, “here we will wait for the mutant which is known as Tigerclaw”.  
“And you don’t have to wait long” said another voice, much deeper and more authoritative. Another figure appeared in the shadow’s point of view, and the sight made it crouch even lower. The mutant was a giant muscular tiger, armed to the teeth and fierce looking even without the eyepatch.   
“Have you found what we are looking for?” he asked as he looked at the robots, staring into their eyes even though they were controlled by small pink brains in the gut area.  
“Kraang has not yet succeeded in what is known as capturing a turtle. But Kraang will do so in what is known as a near future”, the mechanical voice stated.  
“I really hope you do” Tigerclaw continued, “our alliance should be to both of our advantage, but you will do well to remember that Shredder does not look forgivingly upon those who let any of the turtles slip through their fingers”, he said menacingly as he loomed over them. “They have been allowed to sabotage our plans too many times, I will have their shells adorning my trophy shelf!” he roared as he lifted one of the robots by it’s neck, chrushing it so hard it almost made the head fall of. The shadow lifted it’s eyebrows when it heard this new intel. Turtles?  
“Kraang will double the effort to catch all four of what is known as the turtles to be able to hand them over to whom is known as the Shredder.”  
“That is all well”, the enormous cat continued as he dropped the robot to the ground which clashed into a pile before it got up with it’s head hanging loosely on a few wires. “If you succeed the Shredder will be more than generous in providing you with the supplies you need to rebuild your head quarters. To improve your odds I’ll even give you a piece of advice for free. If you encounter them again, focus your efforts on taking out the blue one known as Leonardo. He is their so called leader, without him, you will have better odds taking out the rest.”   
“We have already spotted the turtle in what is known as a blue mask tonight. We will call for all of Kraang’s reinforcements as it should be what is known as nearby.” The robots straightened up with that statement and Tigerclaw simply nodded before he left the same way he had come. The brains wheeled their metallic bodies around and started jogging further down the road, the clanking of their footsteps creating an eco that grew more and more distant.   
Finally the shadow dared to move and sprinted deeper into the alley. It didn’t stop until it reached the dead end where it hurriedly opened the lid of the dumpster, revealing another figure. It seemed weaker and more weary, even though it’s silhouette was significantly larger.  
“How are we doing?” the bigger shadow asked in a hoarse voice.  
“We’ve got to move” was the instant reply, taking an arm over it’s shoulder in order to gently help the other onto the ground.


	2. Encounter

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The turtles meet Venus for the first time while fighting Kraang in the sewers. She needs their help and they take her end her father to the lair. But it's not easy for Venus to be among strangers and having to accept their help.

Donnie leaned over the microscope and focused his tired eyes on the object under the lens. It was a sample of his own skin cells mixed with retro-mutagen. So far all of his experiments had confirmed his theory, which was reassuring. Even so, it was several hours of painstakingly precise work left to be conducted before he would, or could, be certain. Not taking his eyes of the magnified image, Donnie’s hand fumbled for the pen next to him and scrambled down some notes when he found it.  
He was so deeply lost in his thoughts that a loud slam of a door somewhere outside the lab made him jump so hard his sample fell to the floor.  
“MIKEY!!” Raph bellowed all over the lair, stomping around probably looking for their youngest brother. Donnie could even hear some shuffling of another set of feet, presumably belonging to the wanted Mikey trying to find a better spot where he could keep a bigger object between himself and Raph while still leaving a few escape routes open.  
“Come here you little brat! I’ll crush your shell!”  
“But I thought you were over your fear of bugs…”  
“Yeah, well maybe I am. But that does NOT mean I want the freaking things in a jar NEXT TO MY BED WHILE I’M SLEEPING!”  
“I only thought that this cockroach was cuter than most, I thought that maybe…. ARGH!!” (sounds of several flying objects crashing and frantic running).  
“I swear I’m gonna get you!”  
“Will you two ever stop fighting? I’m trying to concentrate in here”, a third voice interjected. It was Leo who doubtlessly stuck his head out of the dojo, as it was his usual time for solo training.  
Donnie sighed and did his best to block it all out while he went over to another workspace where he could prepare a new sample as the one on the floor had been contaminated. He didn’t even reach the drawer before the alarm went of. His heart rate immediately increased, it was the first time it had gone off since he installed it. He quickly scanned the flashing monitors before he called on the others. “Guys! You need to get in here, quick!”  
Leo was the first to come in. “What is it Don?”  
“The alarm just went off, I’m scanning the incoming data right now”  
“You mean the Kraang alarm?” Raph asked as he too appeared in the lab. “Jez, will we ever be rid of them? Not that I mind kicking some alien butt once in awhile”, he said with an evil smirk.  
Mikey came in cautiously and made sure he was out of Raph’s reach. “We have a Kraang alarm? Since when?” he asked. The other three groaned and Leo actually made a face palm.  
“Since we came back to the lair, Mikey” Donnie explained trying to remain patient. “As soon as we came back I set it up in the sewers to make sure they would never find us again without us being warned first. Don’t you remember when you helped me install all the sensors in the tunnels on our first day back?”  
Mikey’s eyes went blank for a second before he exclaimed “Oh you mean the white trinkets? I thought that was some kind of coloured spotlights for future parties. Man, wouldn’t that be awesome? Just groovin in the tunnels” he grinned as as he made a few moves to an imaginary song. He stopped as soon as Raph smacked him in the back of the head.  
“Why would we have a party in… never mind” Donnie said sounding exasperated. “They’re not spotlights Mikey, they’re sensors and hidden cameras which can warn us if the Kraang are coming to close. But they shouldn’t since they also are disturbing devices, programmed to interfere with the triangulation equation…”  
“In English, Einstein” Raph interferred.  
“Fine, the sensors messes with Kraang’s GPS system. An invention of my own, not that I’m bragging. If they get too close the sensors send out a signal tricking their technology to believe they are miles from where they actually are without them noticing. The new signal always indicate them into a direction directly away from the lair. Kraang could never use their devices to find us unless I want them too” Donnie finished with a proud smile.  
“So why has the alarm gone off?” Leo asked, a wrinkle appearing on his forehead. Donnie turned back to his monitors. “That’s what I’m trying to figure out. I don’t think they are actually trying to find our lair, their movement pattern is too random. It looks like they are looking or chasing after something in the sewers. The fact that they have come so near seems to be pure chance”.  
“Then we need to make sure they don’t get too lucky” Leo said as he leaned on the desk to take closer look next to Donnie.  
“How do you want to do it, Fearless leader? You want them all cleared out?” Raph asked.  
“Eventually” was the reply. Raph closed his fist in a sign of victory. “But first I want to circle the metal heads and lead them further away from the lair. If we try to take them out and we miss even one of the droids, I want to make sure that Kraang won't have a good lead on where to begin a new search to find us.” Leo said.  
“As long as I get to punch some squishy brains, that’s fine by me” Raph said cracking his knuckles. Leo straightened up. “Okay guys, let’s head out. Donnie, you can keep track on them with your T-phone. Lead the way”. The four brothers gathered their gear and left swiftly in full ninja mode.

Several minutes of sprinting later Donnie signaled to the others to stop at an intersection. They crouched in the shadows as Leo crept closer. “How far off?” he whispered. Donnie scanned his T-phone. “About fifty yards to the left and closing.” Leo nodded, “Good, we’ll get them to follow us further down before we take them all out.”  
“And how exactly are we going to get them to follow us? Raph questioned.  
“By letting Mikey do what he does best” was the answer.  
“Aw, man!” Mikey complained throwing his hands up in the air. Donnie tried to stifle a chuckle.

Moments later the Kraang robots came into view, long preceded by the echoes of their clanking footsteps. Their eyes were scanning every turn as if searching for something, but were probably surprised at what they found: an insolent orange clad turtle wiggling his behind at them. “Hey buttheads! Want to get a piece of this? Kraang sucks!” He didn’t need to go any further. All of the Kraang started sprinting after him and Mikey quickly picked up the pace while screaming frantically as he raced down the tunnel, ducking his head when laser shots started to hail. The chase didn’t last long though. Donnie, Raph and Leo quickly took them out one by one from the rear in complete silence until only one remained. When it realised it was alone it stopped in confusion and tried to to look around for the others. After completing a full circle it was face to face with a grinning Mikey. “Not even close, dude” he said before he hit it with his nunchucks.  
“Too easy” the turtle in red stated as he emerged from the shadows.  
“We’re not done yet”, Donnie said, T-phone close at hand “there are at least four other groups not too far from here. And then we need to check in a perimeter just to make sure we haven’t missed any of them”.  
“Alright, so this was a nice warm up” Leo said, “Let’s keep going, same procedure”. Once again the turtles sprinted the sewers in full ninja mode. 

The next two groups of Kraang presented to be just as easy, but the fourth took much longer to find. “Have we lost them, Donnie?” Leo asked as he drew himself near his brother who had stopped once again. “No, it’s just that this group is moving a lot faster, and they seem to change direction constantly”. Raph raised an eyebrow, “sounds like they are chasing something”.  
“I think you’re right Raph, but my T-phone can’t pick up what it is. They should be getting closer now, anyway”.  
Leo turned his head “They are, I can hear them, and they are shooting after something. Get down!” The turtles hid themselves as they saw the last and biggest group of Kraang droids running straight through an intersection without looking to the sides. When the last one had passed Leo darted after and urged his brothers to follow him. “Come on, let’s take them down while they have their attention elsewhere.” Soon all four were in the chase and closing in. The robots were completely unaware of them until Mikey tripped and landed in a puddle with a loud splash. A few of the Kraang turned around at the sudden noise and called for more backup, splitting the group into two. One who continued the pursuit of what was ahead, and the other faced the turtles.  
“MIKEY” Raph, Donnie and Leo exclaimed. “Hehe, oops” was the meek response.  
“Never mind, sneaking from behind was boring anyway” Raph said as he gripped harder on his sais, charging straight ahead in bulldozer-style.  
The turtles worked as a team and defeated the enemies one by one. After a short time there were none left. “We still need to find the rest that kept running” Leo stated.  
“I’ve got them on my monitor, follow me!” Donnie yelled, and the chase continued.  
As they caught up with the last of the Kraang, they could see from afar that they were fighting something in a dead end in the dark, but not what. Kraang’s laser shots lighted up fractions of the tunnel that revealed a blurred shadow which desperately tried to avoid being hit. Every now and then the shadow managed a strike of it’s own, but there were to many enemies and would not last much longer.  
“We need to help!” Mikey called out, but Leo was already on it.  
“Donnie, Raph, take to the right. Mikey, with me!” Together they fought the remaining of the Kraang. As they dropped like flies a pair of them ran off before they could stop them. Then there was only one droid left fighting the mysterious shadow. Leo ran closer to help, but just before he had the time to do anything the shadow landed a perfect hit which made the robot drop to the ground instantly. In one swift movement the shadow swirled around charging at Leo, probably thinking he was another Kraang. Leo quickly blocked the attack with his katanas without thinking, and as he and the shadow came face to face and saw each other, they both stopped and stood dead still.  
The weapons that Leo were blocking were two long daggers, one of them slightly bent. They were held in a tight grip by two green, three-fingered hands. Leo quickly ran his eyes over the other figure taking in it’s shell and face, it was another turtle.  
The other turtle was somewhat smaller, not only in height but also much more fine-limbed. Around the lower arms and palm and lower legs were pieces of black cloth with a perfect fit. Two sheaths were securely strapped to the thighs. A thin leather strap ran over the shoulder and around the back of the shell in order to hold a piece of light blue cloth in place asymmetrically across the chest which somewhat covered the curves. Although the curves weren’t very prominent, there was no question that the other turtle was a she.  
The colour of her mask matched the cloth. The ends were more than twice as long as any of theirs, but instead of hanging loosely they were arranged into a tight braid.  
But what fascinated Leo the most were her eyes. A pair of piercing grey with a hint of blue, or was it green? When he looked closely he even imagined there was a streak of yellow. The stare she gave him revealed even more. He could see her surprise, but also fear and perhaps a hint of… hope? Over it all he could see calculations running furiously in her mind.  
She was still panting from the fight when he heard his brothers getting closer behind him before they too stopped dead in their tracks as they gasped at what they saw.  
“It’s a turtle girl” Mikey whispered. Raph was too stunned to give him the usual slap in the back head for stating the obvious.  
The girl took a deep breath before she spoke: “Are you Leonardo?”  
Leo almost took a step back in surprise. “You know my name?”  
The other turtle drew back her daggers and lowered them, a little. “I don’t have time to explain.” She hesitated for a few seconds, “Can you help me? My father is hurt and I don’t have…,” she faltered and had to take another steadying breath. “Can you help me?” she asked again. It was evident that she tried to keep the plea out of her voice, but didn’t quite succeed.  
Leo took a step back and thought fast. They didn’t know her, but she had fought the Kraang. Unfortunately his experiences told him that wasn’t any guarantee.  
“Come on Leo” Mikey pleaded, and Leo turned around to face him. His youngest brother wore his puppy eyes and worked them hard. “The Kraang chased her, we need to help her out”. Donnie and Raph said nothing, they merely waited for his decision.  
For a second which seemed like an eternity Leo stood completely still, then he made a slight nod. Mikey sighed with relief and smiled reassuringly at the girl, it was going to be alright.  
“Raph, Mikey, follow the Kraang who escaped and see if you can take them out before they reach the surface. Use your T-phones to find us when you’re done. Donnie, you come with me”. He turned to the smaller turtle, “Can you lead the way?” She looked up at him and simply said “Yes” before she started running at a very intense pace.  
Leo and Donnie followed her for about five minutes, then she called back over her shoulder “We’re nearly there, just a little further to the right… oh, no. NO!” She had turned her head forward just in time to see another small group of Kraang ahead of them, and they seemed to have found something as they prepared themselves to shoot.  
The girl lunged herself forward with a roar and buried both of her daggers deep in the neck of the first droid she reached. Donnie and Leo were right behind her and took out a couple each in a blink. The fight lasted less than a minute and all the Kraang were yet again defeated. The girl didn’t waste a second as she turned so fast it made her braid whip around. She hastily went over to a large silhouette who was propped up in an alcove in the wall.  
“Father” she said in a worried tone. She stroked his face til he gave a sign of life as his eyes fluttered open. His breathing was heavy and his hands were clenched around a wound in the gut area. Dried blood was stained on his robes, which meant it wasn’t a fresh wound.  
“Is it...?” he whispered in a hoarse voice.  
“Yes, it’s me. I’m back now, and I promise I won’t leave you again.” She clenched his hand and kneeled beside him.  
As Leo and Donnie came closer they saw that her father was another mutant, but he looked like some kind of rodent. Most likely a hamster.  
“Donnie, see what you can do for him” Leo urged, and Donnie went straight over and bent down to listen to his heart and lungs, careful not to put pressure on the wound. He closed his eyes in concentration and straightened up after only a minute. “It’s hard to judge without proper equipment, but I think his pulse is weaker than it should be and his breathing is somehow affected. It could be the wound, but again it’s hard to tell. It could just as well be a side effect of an infection in the wound. It sure looks infected and it smells acrid”.  
“What can you do for him?” Leo asked.  
“Not much I’m afraid without my stuff at the lab. If we could get there somehow…” Donnie trailed of.  
“He’s too weak to walk on his own, and even when he leans on me the wound starts to bleed again. It’s never that much, but I don’t know how much he’s lost.” The girl interrupted.  
Donnie stood up and faced Leo. “She’s right. But fact remains that I need my lab if I am to help them” he told him in a low voice. Leo’s mind was racing. He wanted to help, but he had to consider the option of leading two complete strangers into their lair. He was the leader and he was responsible for them all. He looked over at the girl and her father. She still had a tight grip on his hand and pressed it to her forehead, her breathing almost coming out as sobs. The father had closed his eyes again. He turned back to Donnie, “What if we built a stretcher? Would he make it? Donnie looked over to the mutant as he made some calculations in his head. “I’m not sure, he seems pretty worn…”  
Leo threw up his hands, “So what are we going to do?”  
“I’m thinking, I’m thinking…. ehm… what about your healing Leo? You healed us when we were bitten by Karai.  
“I can’t heal that kind of injury” Leo said waving towards the enormous hamster, “even if Karai’s venom was deadly it was fairly easy to neutralize. This is way more complicated, I’m just a novice at that stuff” he said frustrated at the situation.  
Donnie racked his brains again. “But do you think you could stabilize him? Even if you only healed him a fraction it could help considerably when we move him. Even if we carry him on a stretcher it will be a bumpy ride.  
Leo took a deep breath “I’ll do my best, you find something to use as a stretcher and see if you can reach Raph and Mikey.” Donnie nodded as he picked up his T-phone, Leo went over to the bigger mutant and kneeled at his side. He took long deep breaths and started chanting the healing mantra that Splinter had taught him long ago.  
“What are you doing?” The girl asked, but she was hurriedly cut off by Donnie. “Schh, he’s trying to help him, but he needs to focus.” He backed up so he could continue talking with Raph and inform him of the situation. The girl merely stared mesmerised at Leo as he chanted words she couldn’t understand. After several minutes, his hands started to glow in a bluish light and she gasped as he laid them on her father’s torso. He gave a violent jerk, but soon he eased down and was breathing considerably easier.  
“How did you…” she started, but was interrupted when Raph and Mikey appeared with a stretcher. “We found it at the abandoned substation not far from here” Raph said. He stole a glance at the big figure in the alcove, but wasted no time as he prepared his find next to her father. Together they carefully lifted his heavy body onto it and strapped him securely in place.  
“Raph, you and I carry the stretcher as we are the strongest. We need to go fast but carefully as well. Donnie, you take the lead and keep scanning for more Kraang just in case. Mikey, you cover our backs.” He turned to the fine-limbed turtle, “Can you help Mikey covering our backs too?” Her jaw was set and she gave a simple nod, she wouldn’t let anything happen to her father now. “Then let’s go!”

The transportation was blissfully uneventful. Raph and Mikey had managed to catch up with the fleeing Kraang earlier with no signs of more coming, Donnie’s security system seemed to agree. The only thing that worried them was that the bigger mutant’s breathing was becoming heavy again, and he showed signs of great pain at each bump and gave a sense of fading away.  
Leo gave him a worried look and made a decision. “Donnie, you need to sprint to the lair and warn Sensei that we are coming. Then he can prepare his healing scrolls and you’ll get a chance to prepare your lab with everything you’ve got.”  
“On it!” he replied and picked up his pace. Soon he was so far ahead they couldn’t see him.  
The rest of them kept going together. It was only for another few minutes, but it seemed like ages when the only sounds that could be heard was the faint splashing when they stepped in puddles and a breathing that became more and more strained.  
Finally they reached the lair, and both Donnie and Splinter were there to meet them. Raph and Leo quickly carried him to Donnie’s lab where he had prepared a table. Sensei Splinter moved with grace as he put his hands on the other mutant and closed his eyes. Donnie ran around hooking him up with units of blood and gave him a full dose of antibiotics right in the arm before he conducted further examinations. Sensei started to chant in the same way that Leo had and was in full concentration.  
“What’s going on?” the girl asked in an agitated voice as she moved closer, protective instincts wanting to shield her father from all others. Leo grabbed her by the shoulders to prevent her from getting closer, but she flinched away with livid eyes as soon as he touched her. He lifted his hands, showing her that he wouldn’t grab her again. “I’m sorry, but you have to wait. You have done your part, now you have to trust them” he whispered. She was still extremely tense, but she refrained from moving forward. Leo lowered his hands but kept an eye on her while Donnie and Sensei continued their processes. Mikey slowly glided over towards the new turtle on the other side, giving her a reassuring smile, “Don’t worry, he’s in good hands”. She didn’t respond, but Mikey kept talking to her in a soft tone, as if trying to sooth a wild animal.  
Sensei Splinter’s hands started to glow with the bluish light, and put them over the wound. The mutant on the table arched upwards with a loud gasp for several seconds before he fell back down, seemingly at perfect ease. Donnie used a stethoscope to listen to his heart. He turned around with a smile, “His pulse is stronger and his breathing sounds normal, I think he’ll make a full recovery in time”.  
At those words the girl ran to her father and collapsed at his side. She buried her face in his arm and her shoulders heaved with silent sobs. For a while nobody said anything, but eventually the female turtle straightened up and faced them all, rubbing her face as she attempted to compose herself before she spoke, eyes cast downward.  
“I owe you all both of our lives, and I have nothing to repay you with. I don’t know how to thank you enough.” she said in a quiet voice.  
“We are more than glad to help others in need” Splinter said with a kind smile, taking a step towards their guests. But as he did, the girl flinched a step away and tensed all up again. She still didn’t look at any of them, but kept her gaze on the floor.  
Splinter backed up, but kept his kind smile. “You are welcome to stay as long as you need, and we will make sure you won’t go hungry.”  
“Thank you, but that’s not necessary. We’ll be on our way as soon as possible, perhaps in a few hours when father wakes up.”  
“That would be very unwise” Splinter said. “Your father will be fine, but only if he is allowed proper rest, nutrition and time. Leaving so soon would risk his health.” She stole a quick glance at Splinter before looking back down. She wasn’t comfortable, but knew that he was right.  
Splinter continued, “Here is what we will do: We will find something to set up as temporary walls between your father and the rest of Donatello’s laboratory to give you some privacy. We’ll provide you with a mattress and blankets so you can rest beside him. Me and my sons promise you that we won’t come into your space without permission, but you are free to move around the lair at your ease. Michelangelo here (indicating the smiling turtle) will see to that you are properly fed, he’s a good cook. When your father has regained his strength, you are free to go. Would that be a suitable arrangement?” She finally looked him in the eye and gave a nod. “Thank you.”  
“Then I ask only one thing in return.”  
“Yes?”  
“What are your names, my child?”  
The girl bowed to him. “My name is Hayashi Venus, and this is my father Hayashi Taka.”  
Sensei Splinter formally introduced himself and his sons, then retreated into the dojo with them leaving Venus to care for her father.  
As soon as they had closed the doors to the dojo the turtles started to babble.  
“She’s another turtle!”  
“And it’s a girl”  
“What are the odds that there would be another mutant turtle?”  
“In New York…”  
“And what are the odds that she found us?”  
“What about her having a mutant hamster father?”  
“Why were Kraang looking for them?”  
“What were they doing in the sewers?”  
Sensei Splinter cut through their lively discussions. “That is all very interesting questions, but they won’t be answered tonight. We don’t know what they have been through, but it was evident that it was more than enough for tonight. We will patiently hold our questions in until the time is more appropriate.” The four brothers lined themselves up before bowing simultaneously, “Hai, Sensei”.  
“Good. Now, I want you Michelangelo to do your best to befriend them, as it is your talent”. Mikey’s eyes instantly lit up, and he punched the air in pure joy. “Awesome!”  
“But I’m warning you not to be too up front, as you sometimes are. You have to approach them more carefully than you did with Leatherhead. Respect their privacy, you knock and you wait for permission before you enter. Same goes for you Donatello, even if you need to give Mr. Hayashi his medicine.”  
“Hai, Sensei” they chanted again.  
Leo took a step forward. “Sensei, may I speak with you alone?”  
“Of course, Leonardo. Raphael, Donatello, see what you can find to use as temporary walls. Michelangelo, make some broth for Mr Hayashi and find something for Venus as well. But don’t get too disheartened if she refuses to eat.”  
Three of the turtles left the dojo to do as they were bidden and Splinter turned around to get his tea-tray. “What troubles you my son?” he asked, knowing that Leo followed in his tracks. They sat down in the middle of the mat, facing each other.  
“I have doubts about my decisions Sensei, I don’t know if I’ve made a grave mistake.”  
“Really, and what would that mistake be?”  
“I’ve brought two strangers into our lair”  
“I see, and you worry that they might betray us? Putting me and your brothers at risk?”  
“Yes Sensei”  
“Hm… Did you think about that possibility when you decided to bring them here?”  
“Yes”  
“And what made you decide to do so anyway?”  
Leo thought for a moment, playing it over in his head. He thought about her eyes and what he had seen in them, how she had clenched her father’s hand and the sincere concern in her voice. “I guess it was pure instinct, and they needed our help.” They both took a sip of tea.  
“Don’t you trust your instincts Leonardo? They are a valuable feature of a leader.”  
“I do, usually... But I’m terrified of the consequences if I’m wrong, it would be my fault!”  
“A most valid concern. Is there anything specific that has made you question your instincts?”  
“I think… it’s because I don’t understand why Venus is acting as if we were a threat to them. We helped them, we saved them! Why would she regard us with such suspicion?”  
“You are very observant, Leonardo my son. It makes me proud.”  
“So I’m right?”  
“You are right in that Venus still regards us as a potential threat. However, that does not mean that they are a threat to us.”  
“But what reason could she have not to trust us?”  
“A very good question, what do you think?”  
“Me?”  
“Yes, you. Remember I don’t know either, I can only guess. All i know is that there is a reason for all of our thoughts and actions. Sometimes we don’t know the reason ourselves, but it’s still there. Therefore I ask you again, what do you think?”  
Leo gazed down into his cup as he pondered the puzzle. “Perhaps… they’ve been betrayed before? By people they thought they could trust?”  
“Well reasoned, that is my guess as well.”  
“But how can we convince her that we mean no harm?”  
“Another very good question that I can answer: with Kindness and Patience.” he stressed both of the words, and then he got up taking the tea-tray with him.  
“Good night Leonardo”.  
“Good night father”.

In the kitchen Mikey was humming a merry tune. He had prepared chicken broth for Mr. Hayashi and mini Calzones for Venus. He loved the opportunity to make new friends, and offering food was the best way to do it!  
He loaded the food onto a tray and carried it to Donnie’s lab. Donnie and Raph had done a good job with the temporary walls consisting of screens, wood boards and layers of fabric hanging on rope. He remembered to knock and waited impatiently for Venus to appear, which she did after a few seconds. She peered cautiously at Mikey behind a piece of fabric.  
“Roomservice! One Mikey’s Special delivered just for you” he grinned, lifting the tray higher for her to see. She looked at the contents with suspicion.  
“I know it looks weird, finnish isn’t my strongest suit. But I promise the flavour is epic!” He said in an eager voice, “Can I put it down here?” He indicated at a side table just a few steps away. Venus hesitated for a moment before she took a step back allowing entrance.  
“Man, your room looks good Ve”  
“It’s alright” she said warily.  
“Yeah, but there’s something missing. Entertainment! I wonder if you could fit a pinball machine in here?” Oh wait, maybe it’s not such a good idea…” he trailed of, looking towards a sleeping Mr Hayashi. Venus couldn’t help herself, she smiled at Mikey’s enthusiasm and his thoughtful expression where his tongue stuck out.  
“Oh now I’ve got it! Be right back” he said with another grin and ran out of the room practically skipping in the air. “Enjoy the food!” he called over his shoulder already out of the lab.  
Venus exhaled. He seemed nice, but she was still nervous around here. It was a long time since she could truly relax. She went over to her father’s side and fidgeted with his blanket, lost in thoughts.  
Mikey suddenly barged in, “I’m back! Arghh!!” Venus had reacted on instinct, she had grabbed Mikey by the wrist and hauled him over her shoulder making him land flat on his shell with a crash. “Sorry, my bad. I forgot to knock” Mikey said in a faint voice. He sat up rubbing his head, still clenching a comic book in the other hand. “Are you okay?” Venus asked. She trembled from the shock but she still felt a little guilty. “Sure, it’s not as painful as when Raph gets hold of me.” He stood up and shrugged it off, but he made a point of moving slower so he wouldn’t scare her again. “I brought you one of my latest comic books. Do you like Wingnut and Screwloose? They’re pretty awesome”.  
“Uhm, I don’t know” Venus said awkwardly, but reached out to take the offered magazine.  
“Then you should definitely give it a chance” he said smiling. “Did you like my…” he turned around only to see that the tray was untouched save from the broth.  
“I… wasn’t hungry. Sorry” Venus said in a low voice.  
“That’s okay, I’ll put it in the fridge for later. You can go get it whenever you feel like it. A fair warning though, if you wait too long there’s a definite risk that some of them will be missing”. Mikey chuckled to himself as he took the tray and left. “See you later, Ve” he called back cheerfully. Venus watched him go, not sure what to make of it all.

It was late. The lair had been quiet for some time, but Leo could not come to rest. He tossed and turned but eventually gave up and headed for the kitchen to get something to drink. On his way there he didn’t register the faint noise until he was on the threshold. Venus jerked up from the open fridge and drew her daggers in a protective stance, her heart beating furiously. Leo had stopped as soon as he saw her, sensing her nervousness even though it was quite obvious.  
“Hi..” he began, “...I was just gonna get a soda”. Venus didn’t move, only stared at him.  
“It’s okay, you are free to go around the lair. You can take anything you want.” Venus still held her daggers high.  
“You don’t have to be afraid” he tried, sounding as friendly as he could.  
Venus took some deep breaths as if to calm herself, but it didn’t help. Her grip around the daggers tightened ever so slightly and her hands showed signs of trembling. “I… want to trust you… but I can’t…” she whispered.  
“Okay” was all he said, remaining perfectly still as he thought. “Would you feel better if I were unarmed?”  
“Probably”  
Ever so slowly Leo raised his hands above his head and gripped his katanas. Just as slowly he drew them out, and Venus tensed even more. She was surprised though when he kept lowering them until he could lay them flat on the floor. He stood up, showed his empty hands and walked forward a couple of steps. When Venus showed no sign of lashing out towards him he took some more steps towards the cupboard, but made sure he gave her plenty of space.  
Venus watched him crouch down and reach for a can. She had followed his every move with her daggers still held aloft. “Do you really trust me that much that you can turn your back at me while I’m armed?” she asked puzzled. Leo smiled behind the cupboard door. “Either that or I’m arrogant enough to think that I can take you on anyway.” Venus felt the corners of her mouth slowly creeping upwards.  
Leo stood up with two soda cans and placed one of them on the counter. “These are the last two, I’ll leave one for you. If you were looking for the Calzone Mikey made earlier I’m afraid he ate it, and he was almost ashamed of it. But I’m sure you’ll find something else…”  
“Why are you doing all this?” she cut him off abruptly, seeming bewildered.  
“What do you mean?” Now it was Leo’s turn to sound puzzled.  
“Why are you helping us? You don’t know us, and we have nothing to offer in return.”  
“Oh, that”, he said with half a smile. He took his own can before he looked her straight in the eyes and said “because we are the good guys”.  
He left the kitchen, still giving her plenty of space and picked up his katanas on his way out. Finally Venus lowered her daggers, feeling completely disarmed.


	3. Getting comfortable

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Venus and her father are safe in the lair. But does she feel safe? She interacts with all of the four brothers and learns that they really don't mean her any harm.

The next morning Venus woke up when she heard a soft tapping on the wooden board closest to their entrance. When she pulled the fabric to the side it revealed the purple clad brother. He wore a kind smile and held up a syringe in his hand for her to see.  
“Good morning, I hope I didn’t wake you, but I wondered if I could give your father a new shot of antibiotics to help fight of the infection?”  
Venus eyed him for a moment. He seemed very… gentle. His eyes were kind and pacific. “Of course” she said eventually, stepping aside and showed him in.  
“Thank you”  
“It’s Donatello, right?”  
“Yes, but please call me Donnie. Only Sensei has the habit of using our full names.”  
“I’ll remember that”. Venus watched him as he tip toed across the room and handled her father with the utmost care not to disturb him while he looked for a suitable vein. She was glad to witness the consideration even if it was unnecessary, as her father slept through the entire treatment. Donnie noticed her anxious look.  
“Are you okay Venus?”  
“I’m just worried. Should he really be sleeping this long?”  
Donnie frowned as he thought about it. “I can’t say I’m an expert, but I’m sure it’s not out of the ordinary. His body really needs recovery, the wound is still infected and I believe healing, even if it’s a good thing, takes its toll as well.”  
Venus took her father’s hand and squeezed it, her gaze not leaving his unconscious face.  
Donnie leaned forward to catch her eye, “Hey, don’t worry. He’ll be alright, we’ll make sure of it.” Finally Venus broke her stare and looked at him. She gave him a nod.  
“Thank you Donnie.”  
“You’re welcome, just tell me if you want me to give him another examination.”  
“I will”.  
Donnie gathered his things and prepared to leave. “By the way, I was thinking about working on some of my inventions, but if you think the clanking will be disturbing I can wait.”  
“No, no, it’s fine. It’s your lab…” she suddenly grew curious, “... what kind of inventions?”  
“Oh, a little bit of everything. Right now I’m trying to develop some kind of decoys that might come in handy for future missions”.  
“You can do that?” She sounded impressed.  
“Shouldn’t be too hard, would you like to see them?”  
She hesitated for a few seconds before she followed him. “Sure, I guess I need some kind of distraction”.  
Donnie walked over to his workspace which was cluttered with various parts that seemed to be retrieved from a dump. He picked something metallic up with tiny wheels. “It’s quite a simple idea. I take an old wind up-toy to make it transport itself to the wanted location and combine it with some kind of minor explosives to attract attention. I just need to find a fitting component to act as a timer in order to control the amount of time before it goes of.”  
Venus gaped at the half finished decoy. “That sounds genius.”  
Donnie’s face lit up and he gave a wide smile. “Thanks, it’s good to hear someone appreciating my work”  
“Are you kidding? It’s great! I wish I could help you”  
“Perhaps you can. You can hand me tools and bounce my ideas off if I get stuck.”  
“I’ll do my best” she answered, and Donnie set himself to work.  
Venus did help him reach for tools making his progress go faster, but she didn’t need to say much as he often bounced his own ideas off while he unconsciously muttered to himself. She didn’t mind though as she found his clanking and the muttering oddly soothing and homely. 

Some time later Venus returned to her room to sit by her father’s side. She could hear Donnie still working behind the wall but let the noise fade into the background as she let herself fall into brooding over the last few weeks.  
Venus was so far off in her thoughts she didn’t register the knocking until Mikey softly called her name.  
“Hey Venus, are you in there?” His voice was low, but didn’t hide his energetic tone. She walked the short distance over to the concealing fabric and held it up to reveal the turtle in orange. His smile was just as genuine as last night.  
“Morning Ve! You sleep alright?”  
“Okay I guess. It wasn’t much to be honest, but still the most I’ve done in days” she replied. Mikey gave her a concerned look.  
“Wow, you’ve really been through some hard times, haven’t you?” he asked. Venus merely shrugged her shoulders, clearly not wanting to talk about it.  
“Well, I think you need some fun. You want to read another comic book? Or, wait! How about some video games? You could try them out in my room if you want.” he said hopefully. Venus hesitated, she looked over her shoulder towards her father, uncertain what to do.  
“I don’t know, what if he wakes up when I’m gone?”  
“I can check on him if you want,“ came the sound of Donnie’s voice who had heard their conversation, “I’ll come and get you if he shows any signs of consciousness.”  
“Yeah, Don will take care of him, and you’ll only be gone for a short time. It’ll do you good. Come on Ve, please!” his eyes sparkled and he clenched his fist in a hopeful gesture. It looked so funny Venus let out an amused breath.  
“Okay… fine, I’ll come with you”, Mikey cheered, “but only for half an hour” she said. Venus looked one last time at the sleeping silhouette behind her and then at Donnie who gave her an encouraging nod before she followed in Mikey’s tracks tentatively. 

As they walked out of Donnie’s lab and across the lair Mikey rattled on about all of his comic books and what video game they should try out first. He was always at least one step ahead of her, drawing her after him with his enthusiasm, but he could still sense her anxiety. Mikey noted the nervous looks she shot at Raph, Leo and even Sensei as they passed them on their way to his room. Raph didn’t even bother to look up, but Leo gave her a kind smile and so did Sensei when he greeted her with a nod. Despite the lack of hostility from his family, he could see how Venus made an effort not to turn her back on either of them as they walked by. It didn’t make him angry, he only felt sorry for her. What on earth had she been through to react like that?  
They went into his room and Mikey proudly presented his entire collection of entertainment. He briefly sifted through his various comic books, but soon shifted to the video games as it appeared to strike a bigger interest.  
“Have you tried Alien Invasion 3 before?” he asked, holding up the case to her. She took it.  
“No, I’ve never tried any of it” she replied.  
“What? The Alien Invasion series?” he inquired.  
“Or any other. I’ve never played a video game before” Venus examined the case more closely, clearly intrigued. Mikey’s jaw dropped almost to the floor.  
“What? You mean like, never EVER?” Venus shook her head.  
“Aw, you poor thing!” he actually felt a tear forming in his eye. “But don’t you worry dudette, Mikey the Great is here and I will teach you everything”. He emphasized the last word and made a formal bow. Venus giggled and watched him roam through a pile where he quickly found what he was looking for and held it triumphantly in the air.  
“And here is where our lessons will begin: Alien Invasion 1, a perfect start for a beginner. Here, let me show you how the control works.” He gave her a quick tutorial of the game, and he was pleased to see how quickly she catched on. She made it to the third level without too much difficulty and wore the widest smile he’d seen, it made him light at heart to watch.  
“Wanna play another level?” he asked. Venus hesitated, clearly torn between her newly found hobby and something else. Her eyes kept sweeping towards the door and perhaps searched for a clock that could tell her the time.  
“Or do you want to get back to your Dad?”  
She gave him a grateful look. “If it’s okay, I’ve been here longer than I should have”.  
“Don’t worry Ve, the game isn’t going anywhere, I promise” he said with a grin. “Perhaps you’d like lesson number two tomorrow?”  
She smiled back at him. “I’ll look forward to it” she said earnestly. They walked back to the lab where they met Donnie on his way out.  
“Talk about timing”, he said, “I think your father is about to wake up”. He hardly had time to finish the sentence before Venus sprinted past him and into her room. Mikey and Donnie both followed her and watched as she gave her father a gentle but fond hug and helped him up into a sitting position. She then gave him a brief explanation of where they were and how they had gotten there.  
At the same time Mikey heard Sensei approaching from behind. Master Splinter stood with his sons for a while giving the pair some time to catch up before he knocked on the board to gain attention and politely asked for permission to enter.  
Mikey and Donnie listened to Venus when she made the formal introductions. Mr Hayashi in his turn voiced his sincere gratitude towards Master Splinter and all of the turtles. Sensei made a bow assuring him it was their pleasure. Then he turned to Venus, asking some alone time to have a brief but private conversation with her father. She consented and went outside to wait next to Mikey. Donnie had already left the lab. Mikey gave her an examining look.  
“Feeling alright?”  
“Yes, a little shaky perhaps, but it’s just because I’m so relieved”. She sat down and put her face in her hands drawing deep breaths. Mikey sat down next to her.  
“I’m happy for you. I bet you’d feel even better if you ate something too. You want me to get you both some breakfast?”  
“That does sound good” she replied, and Mikey immediately got up.  
“Mikey…” Venus said, stopping him in his tracks.  
“Yeah?”  
She looked up at him and smiled. “Thank you”.  
He returned the smile, “you’re welcome” he said and left.

It was afternoon and Raph was feeling both bored and irritated. Mikey was getting on his nerves, and there were no enemies on the move to take out his frustration. The fight with Kraang yesterday had been invigorating, but over too soon. Shredder and his foots had never been this quiet for so long. Of course, crime never sleeps, but the few thugs they encountered on their routine patrol he could easily handle with one arm tied to his shell. Raph decided to take his sour mood and head into the dojo to work off some steam.  
He had expected to find himself alone in the dojo at this time of day, but he was wrong. The smaller turtle in the light blue braid was there, and he had evidently startled her quite a bit. When he laid eyes on her she had already assumed a defensive position with her long daggers drawn and was panting heavily. But at a closer look, the panting was probably because of hard exercise as he could see that she was covered in sweat.  
Raph tried not to feel offended about being mistrusted in his own home, because he remembered what Sensei had hinted about them having been through rough times. He attempted to put on a non-hostile expression, but apparently he didn’t succeed.  
“I’m sorry, Sensei Splinter told me I could train here” she said and sheathed her weapons in an awkward manner.  
“It’s okay, you just surprised me, that’s all” Raph replied and made an effort to smooth out his frown.  
“I can come back later”, she continued and scramble with her things towards the door. He made a gesture to get her to stop.  
“Hey, Venus right? I know I come off as rude, but I do know how to share”. The other turtle halted, but still seemed uncertain. Raph continued: “You can stay, I promise I’ll keep to the other side” he said walking over to the opposite corner.  
“O...okay”. Venus returned to her previous spot and resumed her training, but you could tell she was awkward at first before her movements became more fluent.  
Raph studied her out of the corner of his eye as he did his own training. In all of her exercises she worked herself out completely until she could hardly stand before she took a break and moved on to the next.  
“You don’t do anything half-heartedly, do you?” he said in a conversational manner.  
Venus shot him a glance. “No, it’s never been my way. Besides, our enemies won’t go easy on us, so why would I go easy on myself?” she stated rhetorically, and Raph liked what he heard.  
“How’s your Dad anyway? I heard he woke up this morning”, he continued.  
“He did. He seemed better, but awfully tired despite having slept for so long. He was awake long enough to talk to Master Splinter, have something to eat and talk to me for a while before he drifted of to sleep again.” She sighed heavily, “After a few hours I couldn’t just sit around and wait anymore. That’s when I came here to work off some frustration and hopefully some anxiety as well.” Raph nodded to himself, he could relate to that.  
They both resumed their training. Raph worked his sais while Venus had a go at the dummy with her bare hands, and feet, and knees... on and on she kept going, so fast her limbs almost became a blur. “Jez… if that dummy had been a Kraang it would have been a sorry pile of scrap metal by now” Raph thought to himself.  
Eventually she came to a stop, bending over to lean heavy on her knees while her breathing eased down to normal.  
“You’re a pretty good fighter,... for a girl” he commented.  
“What do you mean by that?” she said fiercely looking up at him, a glow had ignited in her eyes. Raph shrugged his shoulders nonchalantly.  
“You’re extremely fast and your technique is reasonably good…” Venus snorted, but Raph continued: “... but if you’d had some strength to put behind all those punches he would have been down a long time ago”.  
“Really?” she said in a dangerously sweet voice.  
“Really” he stated back, and went on with his own training. He got down to do push ups, and to his surprise Venus copied his actions, trying to match his speed.  
“Ha, bring it on” he gruffed. For some time Venus kept up, but eventually she had to give up and admit Raph as the strongest by far as he went on and on before he to had to stop. He sat up, feeling very pleased with himself. Venus on the other hand wore a sour expression.  
“Fine, you’ve got the muscles..”  
“That I do” he said in a smug voice.  
“...but how about stamina?” she challenged.  
“What about it?”  
Venus stood up. “Backflip against the wall, run to the other side, get down and do a stomach roll, repeat. First to complete twenty rounds wins.”  
Raph got up too. “Well, on your mark then”  
They went at it at a furious pace. Raph matched her speed in the beginning, but all too soon he lagged behind and saw how Venus increased her lead a little by every round. Eventually he gave up and sat down as there weren’t any chance he could beat her, and besides, he was too tired to complete the rounds at all, but he hoped she didn’t notice.  
Venus on the other hand finished her last rounds without slowing down very much. It was evident that she was exhausted, but she still managed to stay on her feet, damn her. She tried to hide her too satisfied smile as she went back to her end of the dojo.  
“Okay, I admit it. That was pretty impressive” he mumbled, but still loud enough for her to hear.  
“Thanks” she said, but changed her smile into a frown. “But you’re still right. Stamina is good for running away, but I wish I had the strength to defeat our enemies instead,” she sat down and slumped her shoulders, “we were lucky this time, but when father is better and we move on… I have to keep him safe, and we can’t rely on luck”. She gave him a brief look when she said the last, and it was enough for Raph to see her despair.  
“Well, I’ll be here most days around this time. If you want I can help you build up your strength. I promise I won’t go easy on you, even if you’re a girl.”  
Venus chuckled. “I’ll keep that in mind.”

Later that night Venus walked the lair and found Leo by the TV. He heard her footsteps and turned around.  
“Hi Leo” she said shyly.  
“Hi” replied with a smile, then he reached for his katanas and placed them on the floor a few steps away.  
“Oh.. you don’t have to…” Venus started.  
“Don’t worry about it, I want to” Leo said, cutting her off before she could finish her protest. She smiled a shy smile and looked down while he reseated himself into his previous position.  
“So.. what are you watching?” She asked, fumbling for a conversational topic.  
“Space heroes”  
“Really? Why?”  
“It’s my favourite show”  
Venus couldn’t help herself, but let out a small giggle.  
“What? What is it?”  
“Sorry, nothing”  
“Come on, you can say it”  
“It’s just that, I’ve always thought about that show as something nerds would like”.  
Leo chuckled. “Yeah, I know. Does that make it better or worse?”  
“I don’t know.” Venus answered, still amused about what she just learnt. She went over to sit on the couch as well at the other end and studied him for a while before she spoke again. “You don’t seem like the stereotypical nerd”.  
“Well, thank you” he chuckled again.  
“What is it you like so much about it?”  
Leo pondered the question for a moment. “It’s hard to put my finger on it. I got stuck years ago ‘cause I admired Captain Ryan, my childhood hero...”, he said waving his arms to indicate his nerdiness, causing them both to laugh. “I guess I really thought of him as a hero, with firm principals of honor and always doing what needed to be done, no matter how hard to save the day. He represented all that I wanted to be”, Leo said as he shrugged his shoulders. Venus stole a sideway glance at him wearing a thoughtful expression.  
Leo continued: “I’m old enough now to see the geekiness, but I still enjoy it. Probably because it makes leadership seem so easy”, he said as he slumped a little bit further down on the couch.  
“You made it seem easy”, Venus blurted out. Leo whipped his head around and looked at her in surprise. Venus blushed slightly and cast her eyes downward again.  
“Thank you” he said gratefully in a low voice. Their eyes turned back to the TV and they sat in silent companionship til the end of the episode.  
“So… do you have a favourite show?” he asked tentatively.  
“Uhm… I used to watch Girl next door”.  
“Oh come on! And you were laughing at me?” Leo said with amusement while he pointed at himself.  
“It wasn’t that bad… okay, yeah maybe it was” she said grinning and wrapped her arms around her knees.  
Leo and Venus sat a while longer sharing other childhood favourites before they said goodnight and went their separate ways. 

Next morning Venus woke up early. She busied herself cleaning up after last night’s late meal her father and her had eaten when he had woken again. She took it as a good sign that he had a healthy appetite and decided not to worry about him falling asleep again after only a couple of hours. He would get better, he would.  
And as if he had heard her internal demand, he opened his eyes. Hayashi Taka turned his head towards her and gave her a content smile.  
“Good morning daughter”  
“Good morning father, how are you feeling?” Venus took his hand and felt his forehead, but Taka tried to wave her hand off.  
“Please don’t fuss too much with me, that is my job. And to answer your question, I feel well. Not that I feel like jumping out of bed anytime soon, but I am slowly gaining strength.”  
Venus felt relief and squeezed his hand. Her father chuckled and sat up, she helped him arrange his pillows to make him more comfortable.  
“Has there by any chance been any sign of that excellent room service? My stomach tells me it’s time for breakfast.”  
That was Mikey’s cue to turn up, which Venus could hear he did, softly knocking on the board. She quickly went over to let him in, and he was just as happy as ever.  
“What up Ve? Anyone hungry in here?”  
“Yes there is!” Came here father’s voice, “Is this the famous Michelangelo? The master cook himself? Please come in”. Venus grinned at Mikey’s surprised expression, but he didn’t hesitate as Venus showed him in.  
“Ah, what a wonderful smell! I have to say that these meals are the best I’ve had in a long time. I sincerely thank you, talented one, for all you do for us.”  
Mikey beamed at the praise and made a short bow. “It’s an honour Mr. Hayashi.” He stood there skipping from one foot to the other, practically bursting but didn’t seem sure whether it was appropriate.  
“Is there something you want to ask, Michelangelo?” her father prompted.  
“Well, I was wondering... if Venus could come with me to play some more video games?” he said hopefully. Taka chuckled again.  
“If Venus wants to it’s alright with me.”  
“But father, don’t you want company?” Venus wanted to go with Mikey but felt disloyal leaving him when he just had woken up.  
“I’m quite content where I am my dear Venus. I’ll be enjoying my breakfast for some time, and I certainly will be here when you come back. My only request is that you find me a good book before you go”.  
Mikey jumped up, “I’ll see if I can borrow one from Sensei!” Minutes later he came back, successful in his mission, and Venus followed him to his room where he turned on the game and handed her the control.  
They were at it for about an hour. Venus had managed to complete several levels, and now Mikey was commenting on her gaming like a sports commentator.  
“Venus is nearing the finish line, but will she make it? As you know, several obstacles tend to clutter towards the end of each level. Oh! Here comes the first one, but she manages it with a perfect barrel roll. What about the next? Wow, that was one close call, but she is still in the game. She races through the asteroid belt, and just when she thinks it’s over she faces her nemesis, the level Boss! She dodges his first shot, and the second. She attempts to fire back but misses with mere inches, how close! Wait, she rallies and lines up for a second attempt, and she scores! She has completed the level and the crowd is going wild!!”  
Venus was actually roaring with laughter, and it didn’t get any better when Mikey frantically jumped up and down on his bed. He came to an abrupt halt though when Master splinter appeared in the doorway.  
“Sensei!” he got down quick, “I hope I didn’t disturb you” he said somewhat ashamed.  
“I could certainly hear you from a good distance away, but I wasn’t necessarily bothered by the commotion” he said with a kind smile, “but perhaps it is best not to make it into a habit.”  
“Hai, Sensei” Mikey said with a smile as he made a small bow with his head.  
“Thank you Michelangelo. I was wondering if I could borrow Venus for a moment?”  
This took Venus completely by surprise, and a look at Mikey told her he hadn’t been prepared for it either. The difference was that he didn’t look nervous at all. She stood up, as she couldn’t think of a polite way to say no, and followed Master Splinter out of Michelangelo’s room.  
“See you later Ve” came his cheerful voice from behind.  
Splinter led Venus to the dojo where he indicated her to sit in the middle where he had prepared some tea for them. He joined her at the opposite side and spoke:  
“I am glad to see you getting along with Michelangelo, and I’ve heard that you have spoken to the other three as well. Are they all treating you well?”  
“Yes, Master Splinter”  
“Very good, and do you feel safe while staying here with us?”  
“I…” she faltered, not knowing what to say.  
“Do not be alarmed, I am not angry with you in any way. Some things take time, and they are allowed to do so.”  
“I’m sorry, Master Splinter. I know that you have been nothing but kind to us, and I am slowly getting more comfortable thanks to your hospitality. It’s just that some feelings that I have are buried deep, and I don’t know how to get rid of them”  
“We seldom do. The heart has reasons that reason cannot know”. He sipped his tea peacefully before he continued.  
“You know that I had a brief conversation with your father yesterday?”  
“Yes”  
“Did he have the time to tell you that I knew your father a long time ago?”  
“He mentioned that you first met in Japan... before he moved to America. But he was tired and fell asleep before he could tell me more. So it’s true? I almost discarded it as sleep talking.”  
Splinter smiled and set down his cup. “It is true, he was a student at my father’s dojo when he was very young. Taka was a devoted student, despite not being among the elite. We weren’t very close, but I always liked him and respected him for his character. I remember wishing him good fortune when he decided to leave us for another country.”  
Venus had completely forgotten her own tea. “He told me he never joined another dojo here, but he did his best to keep up his skills on his own. When I was old enough he passed his knowledge on to me”.  
“And I am pleased that he did” Splinter said smiling, and Venus returned it. “And now the universe has made our paths cross. What interesting cards they have dealt us.”  
“I suppose…” Venus grew quiet and studied the bottom of her cup.  
“Is there something else that troubles you my child?”  
“I’m worried about him. Should he really be sleeping that much?”  
“You have to remember that he came to us worn, badly wounded and with a long gone infection. I used the healing mantra to help him, which uses the body’s own capacity to mend at an accelerated pace, therefore he needs a lot of rest to regain balance. You also have to take into account that he is older, and age unfortunately makes us less prone to a speedy recovery. So to answer your question: yes, he should. As long as he has an appetite, consider it a good sign”. Venus bowed her head, showing that she understood. They drank their tea which gave her time to reach a decision.  
“I have a favor to ask you”, she said.  
“If it’s in our power to help, we will be glad to.”  
Venus smiled thankfully. “I have an aunt, she is human. I need to contact her to tell her we are okay. We came to New York together but got separated when she went looking for an apartment for all of us to stay. She hasn’t heard from us in days.”  
“We will help you find her and make sure you get to meet with her.” Splinter assured her.  
It was an easy task for Donatello since the aunt had a cell phone. After talking over the phone they planned to meet that night on the surface. Mikey volunteered to go with her and Venus was glad for the company. It was a good meeting filled with joy and relief. Furthermore it was decided that Venus should stay with the turtles until Taka got well enough to be moved, while the aunt concentrated on finding a job and a place for them to stay.


	4. Pieces of a puzzle

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Venus is getting into routines while living in the lair, waiting for her father to recover. All of the turtle brothers learn different things about her. They only get pieces of the puzzle, and it seems they don't make a pretty picture.

In the days that followed Venus fell into something that resembled a daily routine. She started by having a cup of tea with Leo in the kitchen, who was usually the first of the brothers to be up in the morning. They talked about all between heaven and earth in an easy manner and most mornings they continued together by engulfing themselves in skills training.  
After that Venus returned to Donnie’s lab. If her father was awake she spent her time with him. If not, she helped Donnie in his work. Well, to be honest she didn’t help much at all, but she enjoyed watching him work on his inventions and Donnie much appreciated the company. Venus asked genuinely interested questions about how things worked, and Donnie found it refreshing to have someone there who wanted to listen to his scientific elaborations without being scolded for it.  
Somewhere around the afternoon she trained with Raph to build her strength. As promised he worked her hard, which suited her just fine.  
In the evenings Venus spent some time by the tv, Leo was always there, but mostly one or more of the other turtles were there as well. She didn’t talk as much as the others, but the guys made sure she was included.  
But all of her time in between she divided equally between keeping her father company and spending time with Mikey. He made sure she never felt alone and made her laugh more than she had done in years. Together they ploughed through a considerable amount of video gaming when not reading comic books, learning how to skate or eating something. Mikey was the one who had convinced her to sit and eat in the kitchen with the others when Taka was asleep. Venus had been very nervous the first time as she still tended to be when being in the same room as all of them at once. Now she enjoyed it, especially because she could see how the brothers interacted with each other. The jokes, the jeering and the domestic comments indicated at a close family bond that Venus found comforting.

It was nearing midday and Donnie ignored his rumbling stomach while he concentrated on his work. He leaned down to peer through the microscope when he heard Venus come in.  
“Hi Ve” he said without looking up.  
“Hi Donnie, need some help?” she came up and sat down on the chair on the opposite side of the table.  
“Not today, I’m about to finish. Thanks anyway.”  
Venus put her arms at the table and leaned head on her elbows. When Donnie said he was about to finish, it meant at least another half an hour’s work before he actually stopped. Eventually she raised her head, curious to see what was under the lens.  
“What are you working on? she asked.  
“Research. I’m studying how Retro-mutagen reacts with a sample of my own skin cells.”  
“Retro-mutagen?”  
“Oh right, you wouldn’t know. Mutagen is what turned us from ordinary baby turtles into turtle mutants. Retro-mutagen is what can reverse a mutation. We handle it quite often, and I wanted to find a way to make it safer for us in case we ever come in contact with it.”  
Venus grew quiet. It was a while before she sat up straight and uttered her next question. “And what have you found so far?”  
“Actually, it seems like I don’t have to do anything. I’ve been at it for weeks now, and it seems like none of the samples I’ve studied has managed to turn my mutated skin cells into ordinary turtle skin cells. I’ve made experiments with samples from the others too, including Sensei, and they are all consistent with the results. It seems that we are resistent to the Retro-mutagen.”  
“Do you know why?”  
“I have a theory. We know that all cells replicate themselves to rebuild and to replace the ones that die. Given enough time a body will have generated a full new set of cells. I think that when more and more cells are replaced the mutation grows permanent. According to my calculations the inflection point should occur after around five years, and the mutation becomes definite after ten. If I’m right it’s a huge relief!”. He smiled and raised his head. “So how long ago did you turn from a turtle into a mutant?” It was now he grew puzzled as he noted Venus’ blank stare.  
“I never was a turtle… I was a human…”  
“Wait… what?!”  
Venus kept staring out in the blue as she began to explain. “I was born as a human. I understand that Splinter isn’t your biological father, but Taka is mine. He was a human too… I was only a little girl, about three years old I think, when it happened.”  
“Venus, I didn’t know…” Donnie faltered. Venus shrugged her shoulders, but her eyes were still lost.  
“I don’t remember much about being a human anyway. All I really remember is that I had long and soft brown hair…” she trailed off, her hand stroking her light blue braid.  
“Venus, I’m so sorry. And here I talk about a possible cure only to shoot it down in mere seconds…”  
“It’s not your fault.” she said as she hastily stood up and left the lab in a hurry. Donnie remained where he was, feeling miserable and not knowing what to do.

Raph was panting, but not as near as much as Venus did next to him. They had had an unusually tough training and were doing the final exercise that ended all of their sessions: push ups. He could feel his muscles protesting, and wondered how Venus felt. Even if it was clear that she wasn’t any near as strong as him, she always pushed on, never complained. But today he could see that she had to grit her teeth.  
“One more.... come on, one more! Good, we’re done” he said, and she literally collapsed on the floor. She turned to lay on her back with her eyes closed, waiting for her body to catch up on her breathing.  
“Good job, you’re getting better. Every day you’re increasing the amount you can do”. he praised her.  
“Yeah, but i feel totally spent. I’m not even sure I can move, it feels like my body has turned to jello”.  
“You just need something to eat and you’ll be fine. It’s times like these when you really appreciate home delivered pizza, right?  
“I wouldn’t know”, she said sitting up, “I’ve never had anything delivered at home before.”  
“What, never? How’s that possible in a city like this?” he asked.  
“I didn’t grow up in the city, I grew up in the forest.”  
Raph gaped at her, “Wha… you mean like in a hut?”  
Venus laughed, “No, not that primitive. We had a small house quite isolated in the woods. Sure, we didn’t have much, but that was okay. I always enjoyed living in the forest”.  
“Really…” Raph thought about their time at O’Neils farm, not sure he would agree. “What was so great about it?”  
“Well, the isolation was a blessing and a curse. It was lonely growing up with only my father, aunt and few neighbours that didn’t regard us as monsters, but I was free to roam the wilds as long as I made sure I wasn’t seen by strangers. The wind, the warming sun, the scents, the crisp air, the majestic trees, the glades… I learned all of its secrets.” She smiled fondly at her memories. “That’s how i built my stamina and trained my stealth skills. Father would want me to be home at a certain time, so I would run as fast as I could to reach my favourite spots, often somewhere where I could go rock climbing. If not that, I had a game where I sneaked up on bigger animals and tried to come as close as possible without being seen. The smaller animals I tried to befriend. It could be weeks before they would let me near without fleeing. Rabbits are the ones who require most patience…” she finished with the corners of her mouth tweaking upwards.  
Raph smiled inwardly. He could picture Venus in that environment, wild and free but still in tune with all of the creatures.  
“But how did you live? I mean, how did you make ends meet?”  
“Oh, we were mostly self-sufficient. We grew all of our vegetables and potatoes, had some chickens. We hunted for meat and gathered what nature would provide. As for the rest we could live on my aunt’s income. She is… special, but could manage a simple job in the nearest town. It worked out well, father and I took care of the daily chores that our mini-farm required and we took care of her.”  
“Then why did you leave?”  
Venus froze, Raph thought that she hadn’t seen that question coming. She stood up and turned her back at him. She took her time before she responded.  
“They came… we call them Hunters” she said almost whispering.  
“Hunters?”  
“We didn’t know at first what they wanted, but we overheard them before we managed to flee. They hunt for mutants, captures them.”  
“Mutants? Why?”  
“We don’t know, we didn’t stay to find out, now did we?” she said in a cross tone, looking back at him over her shoulder.  
“Sorry…” was all he could say, wishing he hadn’t asked.  
She turned her head forward again. Her voice grew dangerously low. “They didn’t want all mutants, only those that had been humans before…” she shook her head as if to clear an unpleasant memory, “...other mutants has no value…” the last was almost inaudible.  
“What…” Raph began, but that was a another mistake. Venus whipped around, eyes almost black with anger.  
“Never mind! It’s not your business!”  
“I didn’t mean too… I just…”  
“Leave me alone!” Venus stormed out of the dojo, and Raph made the sensible decision not to follow her.

Leo went into the dojo early in the morning to meditate. He sensed rather than saw that he wasn’t alone in there and looked for the source of his inkling. Eventually he spotted her, Venus was sitting cross-legged with her eyes closed on a trunk of the big tree inside the dojo.  
“Venus?”  
She opened her eyes and smiled serenely at him. “Morning Leo”.  
“What are you doing up there?” he said a little amused.  
“Meditating”  
“In a tree?”  
“It’s very peaceful up here among the leaves. You should try it sometime” she said confidently.  
“Okay” was all he said. Then he immediately drew his katanas and put them neatly on the floor before he climbed the tree. He knew he didn’t really have to do that anymore, but he noticed that Venus smiled every time he did. It made him continue with the habit, at least when it was only the two of them.  
When he got up to a lower trunk her smile widened enough to show her teeth, especially when he struggled at first to find a comfortable position that still allowed him to keep his balance while crossing his legs. Eventually he managed to close his eyes as well and take in the feeling. It was serene, and calming.  
“You were right, it’s very peaceful up here”, he said.  
“I know”, she responded with a content smile, “when I did meditate at home, it was always like this.”  
“It’s a good way to ready your mind. If I struggle I usually use a candle as focus point or a happy memory.” Leo continued. Venus opened her eyes again, curious.  
“I often use that trick too, what’s your happy memory? she asked.  
“Nothing specific. It’s a memory of Christmas Eve many years ago. We’ve never really celebrated it like humans do, but Sensei manage to get us a small tree that we helped decorate with whatever we had. Mikey was especially creative at that” he chuckled, “We also played board games and Sensei told us stories. We didn’t squabble at all that day”  
“Sounds like a good day” she smiled, and Leo returned it.  
“It was. What’s your happy memory?” he asked. She gave him a shy look before she answered.  
“My mom”  
Leo didn’t know what to say, but his intuition told him to remain quiet. Eventually Venus began to talk.  
“I don’t remember much of her. She died when I was three in a car accident. What I do remember is that I loved when she chased after me. I would squeal with delight when she caught me from behind, and all of her golden hair fell down like a curtain around me. That’s what I see when I think of her”. Leo smiled a cautious smile. Venus looked down at her lap before she continued.  
“She was an American, and she met father on her trip to Japan. He told me they fell in love at first sight. He decided to come back with her and they married shortly afterwards.  
When she died he was devastated, and I was too young to understand. That’s when we got really close to my aunt, my mom’s sister. We didn’t have anyone else as my grandparents died a long time ago. My mom had always taken care of her and now we had to do it, but I suspect that she took just as much care of us.  
Before she died they had both talked about moving out of town, and to honour her memory father decided to do just that. Six months later we were ready to pack up when it happened. One week before our planned move, we went on a walk when we came in contact with the green stuff that mutated us into something that resembled our pets that we had last been in contact with. Horrified we ran back to our apartment, where we gave my aunt quite a chock before we could explain. She helped us with the practicalities while we stayed in until we could leave the city at nightfall.”  
Venus grew still, and Leo wasn’t sure what to do. He wanted to reach out his hand to her, but was afraid of what kind of reaction it would set of. Before he could decide she spoke again.  
“Father has told me so much about her. Her laugh, her kindness and all of her oddities. I’ve heard of it so often it feels like I knew her.” Her hand went up to her neck, but slowly fell to her lap again. When she spoke once more, it was in a fragile voice.  
“I miss her every day... It must sound odd, doesn’t it? To miss someone that you can’t really remember...”  
“No”, Leo responded immediately in a soft voice. “That doesn’t sound odd at all.”  
He could see tears forming in the corners of her eyes, but they never fell.  
None of them said anything more, and there was no meditation done. Nevertheless they sat there, in the big tree, for quite some time.

Mikey was in a great mood. He had managed to get hold of a new super-sized water balloon and he was impatient to try it out. He knew it would get big, but not how big. Mikey sauntered into the kitchen, found a tube to connect the tap to the balloon on the kitchen table and turned the water on. He danced around it giggling as he watched it grow slowly. Wow, it was going to be awesome! He didn’t know what he would use it for, but it seemed he had plenty of time to figure it out as he could see filling it would be a while.  
Mikey thought of finding Venus, maybe she had some idea what to do with it. He left the kitchen and headed for Donnie’s lab, and met her in the doorway. Venus beamed at him.  
“Hey Mikey, what’s up?”  
“I’m glad you asked! I’ve managed to get hold of a gigantic water balloon and was hoping you had some idea what we could use it for.  
Venus shook her head in amused disbelief. “Of course you have. Nothing springs to my mind, but maybe if I take a look at it inspiration will come to me.”  
“Sure, but it’ll probably be a while. We could go get some comic books first to pass the…”  
He broke off as he heard a magnificent splash coming from behind him, and then he heard a not so magnificent bellowing from Leo, Donnie and Raph who evidently just had entered the kitchen.  
“MIKEY!!”  
Mikey turned to Venus. “On a second thought, why don’t we head down the tunnels, like right now!” he said and started to run not looking back.  
Venus followed in his tracks, and they ran together for a few minutes before Mikey stopped. He looked around, noting that his brothers weren’t following.  
“This is good, we can hang out here for a while and give them a chance to calm down so they won’t strangle me when we get back.”  
“Come on, would they really?” she asked as she sat down making herself comfortable.  
“Raph sure would, and the others are quite good at scolding you. They often do.” Mikey said in a sad voice. Venus snorted in response.  
“You must hate them sometimes” she said. Mikey jerked at her comment.  
“Hate them? No, no, that’s a really strong word. Of course I don’t hate them” he explained bewildered.  
“But sometimes they treat you like crap, you’ve told me that before.”  
“Yeah I know, but… it’s not like that.” She didn’t look convinced. Mikey struggled for the right words.  
“Look, I know that we can be at each others’ throats a lot, but really it’s only about the pranks. And I know I tend to push their buttons, it’s normal for brothers. But when I need them, they will always be there for me, always. As I will be there for them. They’ve already saved me more times than I can count while putting themselves at risk. And Leo, Donnie and even Raph would never hesitate to do it again if they needed to.”  
Venus stared at him. “You seem so sure”.  
“I am sure”, he sat down beside her. “It’s what we do, that is what friends and family do.”  
Venus leaned her head against him. “I wish I’d had friends like that”.  
Mikey turned and looked at her. “What? You didn’t have any friends when you lived in the woods?”  
Venus hesitated before she answered. “I did have a friend. When we moved there we kept to ourselves, naturally. But as I got older I yearned for company at my own age. I used to lurk in the bushes to watch other kids play at the edge of the nearest town. I often entertained the thought of joining them but never dared to. Then one day one of the girls spotted me, she screamed and ran off shrieking that there was a monster in the woods.” Mikey’s heart ached for her when she told this.  
“But Zeth was braver than the others. Instead of running off he actually sought me out and found me. He asked if I really was a monster, and I explained as best as I could, not really understanding it myself. We talked and started seeing each other to play in the forest. I was happy then, most of the time.”  
“He wasn’t a good friend?”  
“Mostly he was. He kept me company, shared his candy and was great at inventing fun games. When we were together I felt like a normal kid. I loved his humor, they way he could make up stories on the spot and his ingenuity. He used to say that I was his best friend, that I wasn’t like the others he knew. It was a great feeling” She made a pause. Her mouth were positioned in a half smile, but her eyes were sad.  
“But sometimes he did things that I felt was wrong. At first it was just pulling off the wings of insects, but then he tried to hurt other animals like squirrels and birds. He also made it a game to scare the life out of them when he joined me in my stalking game. I was so mad at him. Every time Zeth tried to hurt an animal I told him off very sternly. We used to get into a fight which always ended with him calling me names like freak, slimy frog or Swamp Hulk. After that we didn’t talk for days as he refused to see me.”  
Mikey couldn’t get rid of the big lump in his throat, it was so unfair.  
“But you saw each other again eventually?” he asked.  
“I couldn’t help it. When we didn’t talk I felt so alone. When I got desperate enough I sought him out, and I told myself that he could change, that I could change him. He never admitted that he had done anything wrong, but weeks he behaved well and we were best friends again, laughing and playing. Unfortunately when we grew older he got worse.  
The worst he ever did was stealing eggs out of birds’ nests. Once he actually crushed them in front of a shrieking mother.” Mikey gasped, horrified.  
“He didn’t...”  
“He did. I was furious! We were screaming at the top of our lungs when we argued about it. When he went for another egg I saw red and took him down quite hard using the skills that father had taught me. He left with a pride just as bruised, calling me his worst names. It was weeks before I even thought about finding him again, that’s when I learned that Zeth had left for good. He had moved to live with some relatives in the big city.”  
Venus grew quiet. Mikey grasped for something to say, but he couldn’t think of anything remotely appropriate. Zeth sounded like a manipulative douche, but then he thought about what it would have been like to grow up in the sewers without his brothers... Just the thought of the loneliness made him hurt. He guessed that when options were limited, you made do with what you had.  
“So… you never had any other friends?” he tried meekly. Venus squirmed as if she was hesitating.  
“I… met Fizzy… a short time after.”  
“Fizzy?”  
Venus squirmed some more, clearly uncomfortable. “That’s what I called her. After Zeth had left I found her deep in the forest on one of my expeditions. She was a mutant too who had been a normal squirrel to begin with. She lived in a tree with her smaller friends. She never said much, but I could talk to her about simple things.”  
“Was she nice to you?” he asked as he sensed her reluctance.  
“The sweetest, most innocent thing…” Venus trailed off and got up. She started to pace. Mikey got on his feet to.  
“I don’t understand, if she was nice...”  
“I don’t want to talk about it” Venus breathing began to increase.  
“But…”  
“Mikey, please!” She stopped and looked him straight in the eye. He saw panic in her eyes.  
“I’m begging you, please don’t push me on this. I don’t want to talk about it.” He could hear her sorrow, and gave in as he couldn’t bear it.  
“Okay, I won’t…” he said. Venus looked relieved.  
They both sat down again, and eventually they managed a conversation on everyday topics. By the time that Mikey judged it safe to go back to the lair, she had returned to her usual self, only somewhat low-voiced.


	5. Revelations

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The turtles learn why Venus and her father escaped their old home.  
> Venus is offered to begin training under Sensei Splinter.

Donnie was satisfied with the day’s work and left his lab after having checked up on Mr Hayashi. He wanted to find Venus to tell her the good news. When he came into the living area he saw Raph by the pinball machine, and Venus and Leo on the couch at opposite ends, appearing to watch tv. But something told him they weren’t. Leo desperately tried to stifle a giggle and made a hush gesture towards Donnie.  
At first he was confused, but then he saw it. Venus had a pea-shooter, and at certain intervals she fired a couple of peas in Raph’s direction. When she hit her target, Raph turned around looking for the source of his irritation, but Venus was quick to conceal her weapon.  
When the next shot made Raph miss the pinball and lose his game, he also lost his temper.  
“Damnit Mikey! Will you stop whatever you’re doing!”  
“It’s not me!” came Mikey’s voice from the kitchen, sounding offended. “I’m out here cooking food. How can it be me?”  
“I don’t know how you do it, but I know…” Raph broke off as he was hit by a hailstorm of peas right in the back of his head. When he turned around he saw Leo bent over from laughing and Venus with a crooked smile, waving her pea-shooter at him.  
“Maybe you should calculate where the shots are coming from and you would’ve found out a lot sooner”. she said leisurely.   
Raph stood there with his jaw dropped to the floor. Hilarious as it was, Donnie felt it was best to break in before Raph reached the decision that he could beat up girls.  
“Hey guys, guess what? I’ve just checked up on Mr Hayashi, and I assess him to be in a good enough shape to join us at the table for dinner.”  
They all cheered, and Venus was delighted. She ran into their room and helped her father walk the distance to the kitchen.   
They all sat down including Sensei, and Mikey served his new specialty: pizza soup with oregano bread. At first the other turtles were a little reserved, but Mr Hayashi tasted it and praised Mikey’s talent. After that they all digged in. It was a pleasant meal with jokes and friendly bickering. Mr Hayashi and Sensei conversed together like old friends. Donnie guessed that it was their mutual Japanese heritage that brought them together, especially memories of training with the Hamato clan.   
After some time Mr Hayashi spoke.  
“Yoshi, I don’t know what we would have done without you or your sons. To have your protection and have us cared for in every way is a blessing.”   
“It is a pleasure to have you, Taka.” Splinter assured him and put a hand on Mr Hayashi’s shoulder.  
“Nevertheless, I thank you. It must have been a divine hand that steered us here and helped us find you in our time of need.” he said earnestly.  
“What made you decide for New York?” Donnie asked intrigued, “Coming from a fairly isolated home, it must have been a heavy environmental change to come to a big city like this.”  
Mr Hayashi turned to him. “It sure was, Donatello. But at the time it seemed the most sensible option. We had lost our home, and finding a new similar one proved too hard. People on the countryside tend to be a bit nosy about new neighbours. We thought about moving to a smaller town, but it’s the same problem there. People seem to know everybody and it didn’t seem possible to stay hidden.   
The final option was a bigger city. It would be easier to hide where people tend to mind their own business and where they wouldn’t consider it odd with neighbours who never go out during the day. Also we hoped it would be harder for our attackers to find us again if we could hide like a needle in a haystack.” Mr Hayashi finished with a sigh.  
“Are you saying the Hunters found you again?” Donnie asked surprised. Everybody had their attention on the older mutant now.  
“It was actually a coincidence. We arrived by car in the night and stopped to make further plans when we saw a couple being attacked by a gang in an alley. They needed help and Venus was quick to save them. Unfortunately they managed to rob us instead before we could fight them back and run. Before that, one of them looked at us and laughed. He said that they were having a lucky night catching two mutants and that Hun would be pleased.. That was when we recognized the dragon as one of our assailants from back home…”  
“The Dragon?” Raph and Mikey interrupted with a jerk.  
“You mean the Purple Dragons? Are they hunting for mutants?” Leo asked leaning forward.  
“Yes, the Purple dragons, that’s what they called themselves. But we don’t know why they hunt us. Are you saying that you didn’t know? Hasn’t Venus told you everything?”  
“No…” They all turned to look at Venus, who had gone really quiet.  
“Venus! Why haven’t you informed them?”  
“It didn’t seem relevant… they only hunt for pre-human mutants” she said in a low, sulky voice.  
“It is highly relevant for them to know! Yoshi is a pre-human mutant and Leonardo, Raphael, Michelangelo and Donatello can be mistaken for ones. After all they have done for us they deserve to have all the facts in order to protect themselves,” Mr Hayashi said in a stern voice. Venus looked down. She didn’t protest or interrupt, but Donnie could see the resent in her eyes. She had grown tense again.   
Mr Hayashi turned back to Sensei and continued.  
“As I said, we don’t know why or what they do with the mutants they catch. But we’ve got some understanding on how they search for them. The Purple Dragons seem to find mutants by listening for rumours to give them new leads, buys information from the right people and uses their connections. That’s how they found us so far from the city.”  
“Father…” Venus tried to stop him, but he relentlessly went on.  
“We were betrayed by Zeth. He led the Purple Dragon to our very home and even worked out a plan to separate us in order to make our capture easier.”  
A loud crash made them all jump. Venus had thrown herself out of the kitchen, causing the chair to tumble over on the floor. The room was dead still as they all took in what Mr Hayashi had said.   
“Zeth? Her childhood friend?” Donnie thought desperately. He looked at his brothers, they seemed just as dumbstruck as he felt. Mr Hayashi looked sad with his shoulders slumping, and Sensei was gripping his arm as if to provide comfort, looking thoughtful.  
Leo and Mikey gave each other a look and almost simultaneously rose from their chairs as if to go after Venus.   
“Before you go, there is more you need to know.” Mr Hayashi’s voice was low but perfectly audible.  
“She hasn’t dealt with Zeth’s betrayal. She refuses as it pains her a great deal to speak of it. But… you also have to know... When they came for us, Fizzy happened to be there too.   
We didn’t know she was there until it was too late as we had just managed to escape ourselves.   
But we could hear it from a distance.   
How they captured her, how she fought them and made them angry.  
How they derived that she wasn’t a pre-human and killed her in cold blood because of it.” Mr Hayashi drew a deep, slow, steadying breath.  
“They said that ‘other mutants have no value’. I grabbed a furiously struggling Venus and ran. There was nothing we could do.”

Mikey and Leo left the kitchen to look for Venus. Mikey was trembling slightly, and he suspected that Leo felt just as shocked. Poor Venus! He wanted to cry just hearing about what they had been through.   
Right now they needed to find her and make sure she was okay. Well, at least that she wasn’t doing anything stupid. But he got anxious as he didn’t know where to look for her.  
“Where do you think she’s gone, Leo? Do you think she’s run into the sewers? Or the lab?” he said pacing, not knowing where to begin. Leo on the other hand, stood still as if concentrating, considering the options.   
Mikey loved that about his older brother. Despite the intense situation he always stayed in control, with a clear head to make the most sensible decision. He thought that that was what made Leo such a great leader, and he took comfort from it.  
“No”, he said after only a few seconds, “I think I know where she is”. Leo headed for the dojo.  
When they got in there it first appeared to be empty, but Leo made him stop and listen, and then he heard it to. It was the sound of a muffled crying.  
Leo went further in towards the tree and looked up. He followed him and then he spotted her. High up on a thick branch sat Venus, her head hidden behind her knees and her arms tightly wrapped around them. She was rocking slightly, with tears streaming down her cheeks despite her efforts to stop.  
“Venus…” he tried  
“Don’t! I don’t want to… leave me alone!” she sobbed.  
They remained where they were, and Mikey felt lost. As they stood there they could hear her mumbling.  
“I never thought that he would… not even after…  
...supposed to be my friend…  
...they just shot her! Without any hesitation…  
… she didn’t deserve it…   
… I couldn’t save her… I couldn’t…” Venus broke down in a new set of sobs before she screamed at them.  
“Leave me alone! Get out!”  
Mikey hated the feeling of helplessness that drowned him. He had no idea if he should stay or just go. He looked to Leo, and saw that his eyes were pained to, but he could also see the calm determination. He drew his katanas and placed them on the floor, then he started to climb the tree.

Venus could hear the faint ring of the katanas being unsheathed and the soft thud as they were lain on the floor. She also sensed Leo coming up the tree as her branch swayed a fraction.  
“Don’t… just go!” she screamed, but her voice broke. She had her back to him, but she could feel his presence even as he stood dead still.  
Venus renewed her efforts to stop her crying, but it was like stopping a flood with twigs, and she hated it.   
After a long time, she didn’t know how long, she felt how Leo slowly moved closer. “If he tries to hug me or something I swear…!” But he didn’t. He merely sat down behind her, and she could feel a small part of his carapace touching hers.   
That was all he did, he didn’t speak.   
And yet it felt like that small contact gave her a reference point in a world that spun all too fast, literally giving her support.  
She was still crying, but the pain seemed easier to bear. Ever so slowly she rebuilt her dam, and the tears receded, only giving away the occasional sob before that ceased too. Now she could hear his breathing. She listened to it. It was slow, deep and steady. Comforting. Not asking her for anything.  
Venus didn’t know how long he sat like that with her, or when Mikey had left, but it was a long time since it was completely dark when he rose just as carefully as he had sat down, climbed down and left.   
Later when Venus turned to climb down as well she felt something under her hand. It was a small piece of paper. Unfolding it revealed what she thought was Japanese writing. She couldn’t read it, but tucked the paper away in one of the sewn-in pockets in her light blue cloth across the chest.

The next morning Venus woke earlier than usual. She had tossed and turned for the greater part of the night and judged it pointless to try to go back to sleep. She rose quietly, not wanting to disturb her father who was still snoring lightly, and headed for the kitchen.  
When she got there, she began to prepare breakfast for herself and her father. They had to talk about last night. She had no desire to talk about that night in the forest, but he had been right, the guys and Master Splinter deserved to know about the danger they could get themselves into.  
Before Venus had finished Splinter appeared as serene as ever.  
“Good morning Venus” he said and turned to the tea kettle.  
“Good morning Master Splinter”  
“I was hoping to see you, there are some things I wish to discuss with you. Would you care for a cup of tea?”  
“Yes please”, she answered and sat down.   
Splinter moved about, finding two cups and the tea-leaves before he added them to the steaming water. He took his time and poured for them both before he sat down at the opposite side of her. He blew and sipped his tea peacefully, Venus copied the action. When he still didn’t speak she began herself.  
“Master Splinter, I’m sorry about last night. I should have told you sooner.”  
“Thank you, Venus. My sons have handled the Purple Dragons many times before, even so, information is a very powerful tool. In any case, I accept your apology.” Venus sighed in relief. It felt like he meant it.  
“After the dinner last night, your father and I discussed other matters and made plans. Taka is well on his way to a full recovery, but I assured him that you are both welcome to stay until your aunt manages to find a suitable home for you.” Venus bowed her head in thanks.  
“Furthermore we discussed your training,”   
Her head shot up.  
“We believe that your chances to hide from the Dragons in New York are good. Nevertheless it is always good to prepare oneself. You seem to have a talent for Ninjutsu, but Taka feels he cannot take your training any further. Therefore I want to offer you to train with me and my sons, to improve your skills as long as you want to.”  
Venus inhaled sharply, feeling excited. To train with Master Splinter would greatly improve her skills.  
“It is a very generous offer”, she said with reverence.   
“And will you accept it? He asked her. Venus stood up and bowed formally.  
“Hai, Sensei”  
“Good, our first training will be this afternoon. Be well prepared.”  
“I will”. Sensei nodded and went back to sipping his tea. A thought occurred to Venus.  
“Sensei, I was wondering if you know what this means” she said as she pulled out the small piece of paper from last night.   
He seemed surprised, but accepted the offered paper and unfolded it. As he read it, a smile appeared on his face as if a fond memory came to mind.  
“These are the same words I gave to Leonardo at a time when he had internal struggles.” Splinter told her.  
“He can read Japanese?” she asked.  
“No, but he seems to have learnt this by heart.”  
“What does it say?” she said bursting with curiosity. Sensei peered at her, got up and walked around the table to press the small paper back in her hand.  
“It says,   
‘Grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change,   
the courage to change the things I can,   
and the wisdom to know the difference’.”   
He left, leaving her to process what she had just learnt. After a while she carefully put it back inside her hidden pocket and placed a hand over it, making sure she wouldn’t lose it.


	6. Skills test

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sensei have all his students to perform a skills test to map their progress. When Venus isn't able to perform as well as the others, she storms out. Later Leo learns her secret that explains her reaction, and decides to help her.

Slouching comfortably on the couch, Raph flicked the remote to find something interesting on the TV. Of course, since it was early afternoon it was impossible, and he gave up laying further down to close his eyes and just chill with his arms crossed behind his head.  
When he did so, he could hear the laughs from Mikey and Venus coming from Mikey’s room. Raph couldn’t help the smile creeping into his features. Even if he didn’t like his little brother teaching her the art of pranking, she usually didn’t practice her newfound skill on him. All together Mikey had disturbed him a lot less since he found a friend in Venus, redistributing his endless energy in a different direction. Most importantly, she had learnt to read the subtle signs that told her when Raph had had enough pressing of buttons, which Mikey had never managed to do. When she did, she made a terrific job of leading Mikey elsewhere before things got out of hands.  
He knew that he wasn’t the only one who greatly appreciated that special talent. He had seen Donnie giving her grateful looks too when she managed to lead the youngest brother out of his lab more than once.  
Raph made a content sigh, but opened one of his eyes a fraction as he heard someone approach. It was Leo.  
“Heads up, Sensei wants us in the dojo in five,” he greeted.  
“Yeah, I know. I’m coming.” He rolled off the couch and sauntered after his brother in blue. Donnie came right behind him, and he could hear both Mikey and Venus joining the line as they entered the dojo where Sensei awaited them.  
They all kneeled, and their master greeted them.  
“I want to start by informing you that I have accepted a new student. Venus will be joining us in our daily training.”  
Raph and his brothers turned their heads towards her. Mikey cheered and the other two beamed at her. Raph felt pleased, it would do her good. From the look of her face, she thought the same thing.  
“In order for me to provide the best training, I want you to perform a skills test. You will all spar against each other, two at a time, enabling me to assess your progress. Donatello, Michelangelo, you will go first.”  
Donnie and Mikey stepped forward and made themselves ready.  
“Hajimer!”  
They circled around each other, both looking for an opening before Donnie made the first move. Mikey dodged it, making a counter attack. For a couple of minutes the sparring went back and forth before Donnie finally could best his opponent with a cunning strike.  
“Yamu”, Sensei said, ending the round.  
The brothers went back to their previous position in line with the others and Splinter called the next fighters forward.  
So it went on, the results of the sparring the same as it usually were. Mikey lost against all of his brothers, and Donnie was defeated by both Raph and Leo. When Raph and Leo faced each other it was a very tight round that went on for a considerable amount of time before Raph made a mistake, and Leo was quick to take advantage of it. Raph hated that. Even if it had been a very good round it always stung when Leo bested him.  
But he bet it didn’t sting as much as it did for Venus.  
Talented as she was, she hadn’t had the privilege of training for Master Splinter for years. Mr Hayashi had made a good job of teaching her all of the basics, but she struggled to stay out of all the others reach even for a minute. She barely made any attacks of her own and had to see herself defeated every round, making her look very sour after every turn. When it came to her final spar against Raph, she was so infuriated she tried to attack him head on. It was an easy thing for him to take her out as he was much stronger than her, and Sensei called for them to cease in record time.  
He couldn’t help but feeling smug. He reached out a hand to help her up, but she slapped it away with lightning shooting from her eyes and got up on her own. They went back in line and Sensei positioned himself in front of them.  
“You have all done well today” he began. Raph noticed how Venus refused to look up from the mat, her cheeks burning with indignation. Apparently she didn’t agree.  
“Tomorrow we will continue training, focusing on your individual needs.” he finished.  
They all got up and chanted “Hai Sensei”.  
As soon as they were done, Venus stormed out without a word. She didn’t even wait for Mikey. Donnie looked confused, apparently he hadn’t sensed her mood, but Mikey had. He had watched her leave and remained behind with regret in his eyes, probably deciding that it was a good idea to give her some space right now.  
When he looked at Raph he merely shrugged his shoulders. He would be grumpy too if he had just found out that he clearly was the worst in the bunch.

Venus’ muscles were aching, but she firmly ignored it and continued her relentless attacks on the dummy. She didn’t deserve any rest, that had been made very clear to her. She repositioned herself and started a set of lunges where she hit the dummy hard, again and again and again.  
She heard the door open and saw Leo in the periphery, but she pretended not to notice.  
“You missed dinner” he said, taking a step in in order to shut the door behind him.  
“I’m not hungry” was her curt response, and continued to abuse her target. Leo got closer.  
“Venus, what are you doing?” he asked.  
“Training. And well-needed it is as I got painfully aware today how easy you’ve gone on me during our sparrings in the mornings.” she lashed out, not slowing down.  
Leo took a step back at that, but soon he got angry himself.  
“I can’t believe you’re such a bad loser.”  
“What?” she finally stopped and faced him, narrowing her eyes.  
“So you lose your sparring on the first day and think it’s okay to go around moping because someone else is better than you. That is the definition of a bad loser” he said crossly.  
“That’s what you think this is about? Me not winning a stupid round?” her voice grew intense.  
“Well, what else could it be?” Leo said, not backing down.  
“Because it became painfully obvious that I’m too weak to protect myself or my father!” she shouted back. It took Leo by surprise.  
“What do you mean?”  
“I mean that as soon as we leave, our enemies will be at our throats again, and we probably won’t be that lucky next time. We barely made it before you found us.” Venus voice was livid, but she continued.  
“It will be a long time before he can fight again, and frankly I’m not sure he will ever be as good as he once was. That means it’s up to me to ensure our safety, and I am so far from being ready.”  
“But you are safe here with us!” Leo protested.  
“We can’t stay here forever, Leo, and you know it”.  
“We’re not throwing you out, we would never do that to you.”  
“How can we be sure?”  
“How can you say that? We are your friends!” he said with a rising pitch in his voice.  
“Ha! If I can’t tell the difference between love and disgust, then I deserve to be betrayed!” she shouted, her words ringing in the silence that followed.  
Venus was panting, she hadn’t planned her last outburst, it had just happened. She hated the questioning look Leo gave her.  
“What do you mean?” he said confused.  
Venus closed her eyes and turned her side to him. In a moment of weakness she tried to explain.  
“When Zeth first got back, he sought me out in the forest where he knew he could find me. He seemed so happy to see me and gave me a long, tight hug. I felt confused but glad, and we talked for more than an hour, mostly about his new home in the city. He seemed so different, as if he had changed to the better. When I asked him to come back with me and meet father, he hesitated and hinted that he’d rather have me to himself.  
I wasn’t sure what to make of it, but I had secretly had a crush on him for years, so I jumped at the proposition to meet him later that night. He even made me promise to sneak out without telling father.  
I did it, even though I felt that it was wrong. When it was dark I headed out and met him at our favourite spot. He was there, and we sat down looking at the sky and just talked and talked. I was disappointed when nothing more happened, and when I made a motion to get up and go home he stopped me, asking me to stay. When I asked why, he slowly leaned in as if to kiss me”.  
Venus couldn’t help her blushing. She closed her eyes tight and made herself continue.  
“But before we did, I heard movements in the bushes surrounding us, and Zeth immediately pulled away. Out came three other guys who seemed to know him. He was cross and asked them what had taken them so long. He also said ‘I almost had to kiss the slimy frog to keep her here’. It made me go completely blank, and that’s when they captured me.”  
She could hear Leo gasp at the last. The hot tears started to form, but she blinked them furiously away.  
“They took me with them towards our house. Zeth and the guys talked, that was how I learnt that our rendez-vous was nothing but a scheme to separate me from father as Zeth knew it would be easier to catch us both that way. He sounded so different! The happy Zeth who had been happy to see me had just vapourized. This was a mean, calculating Zeth I didn’t know.  
When we got there Zeth called out to father and tried to make him surrender willingly by using me. Fortunately I managed to wring free and together we thought the others and managed to flee.”  
Venus stopped talking. She refused to look at Leo, she couldn’t bear the pity. He took a step closer.  
“Does Taka know?..”  
“No, and there’s no reason he should,” she said firmly, “it would just pain him further and be of no comfort to me. I’m not even sure why I’m telling you.” She drew several breaths through her nose and shook the worst pain away, focusing on her anger.  
“It doesn’t matter now, what matters is that I get better and prepare myself for reality.”  
She resumed her lunges again, ignoring Leo who hadn’t moved a muscle. Hopefully he would leave soon.  
“You should shift your balance to improve the force of your attack” came his voice from behind. She was so surprised she turned around.  
“What?”  
Leo got in front of her, turned towards the dummy. “Sensei will drill you hard on this, but I can give you a head start. If you shift your balance to your other foot, you can spring more easily to make your attack more forceful, like this.” He showed her what he meant, and after hesitating a second, she copied his motion with a satisfying result.  
“Thanks,” she said, “have any other tip?”  
“When you block a strike that aims for your head, you should tilt your dagger to make the opponent’s weapon glide of along the edge of your blade,” he made her turn towards him in order demonstrate what he meant.  
“If you do it like this, you give yourself a chance to make a counter-move based on your advantages, instead of locking into a position that is a measure of strength.”  
“Really? And what are my advantages, exactly?” she asked, intrigued.  
“Speed,” was the immediate answer, “and agility, you’re probably cunning as well once you learn how to read your opponent.  
Venus looked straight at him. He sounded sincere, and there was no trace of mocking in his eyes.  
“You really think I can improve?”  
“Under Sensei’s teaching? Loads, if you set your mind to it and train hard.”  
She felt her features turn into a smile and gripped her daggers more firmly to meet his katanas.  
“Show me that block again.”

In the days that followed, Venus and the guys trained with Sensei every day. In addition, Leo kept helping Venus with extra sessions, teaching her more tactical moves and how to analyze her opponent.  
Venus aunt also managed to find a job and an apartment that she could afford. It was on the top floor of an old building, and the apartment itself had the feeling of an attic, but they liked it. A great advantage was that there weren’t any windows directly opposite to any neighbours, which meant that with a few safety measures they didn’t have to have their blinds shut all the time.   
It was also fairly easy for Venus to climb out her window, onto the roof and down another windowless side of the building along a downpipe into an alley where she could access the sewers through a manhole. For extra security, Donnie helped set up cameras that would warn her if humans were around if she had to get to and from the lair during daylight to train with them.  
April, April’s father and Casey were a great help when moving their few belongings since the guys couldn’t be seen carrying moving boxes in the stairwell. April also helped them to find used furniture for a small amount of money if she didn’t give some to them herself. Venus appreciated all of her efforts, and the girls got much closer during this time. They enjoyed being able to talk about girly things, although they would never admit it to any of the guys.


	7. On patrol

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Venus is permitted to go on patrol for the first time, and Raph goes with her.

Venus was pacing in the living area, Raph took forever to get ready. Mikey sat on the couch watching tv, but his eyes darted towards Venus every few seconds as if it was hard to concentrate on the show while she was so obviously restless.  
“Nervous?” he asked, even though he should know the answer, so she didn’t bother to make any reply.  
Sensei had judged her to have made enough progress in her training to be permitted to go on patrol. Tonight was her first time, and Raph was going to come with her. That’s why she was pacing back and forth, nervous though she was she was still eager to get out.   
Venus loved the idea of going on patrol, to fight the bad guys and do some good. But also she couldn’t wait to get out and explore the city. Since she had come here she hadn’t been able to see much of it naturally, but tonight would give her an opportunity to roam free in the cover of darkness on the relatively safe rooftops.   
“You wanna try to beat the mega boss in Alien Invasion 3? I bet we could do it”, Mikey said hopefully. “You know you’re early, and even though Raph likes to go on patrol too, he’s never in a hurry.”  
“I know Mikey, but I can’t help it. I’m sorry, but I don’t feel like playing video games right now”, she responded apologetically.  
“It’s okay, I understand.” The light green turtle got up and stopped her pacing by grabbing her tense upper arms.  
“You’ll be fine, you’re ready for this!”  
“Yes, you are”, came from another voice, it was Leo. He came into the living area and walked calmly over to them. His easy manner rubbed off on her and made her relax her shoulders.  
“I’ve seen your training too and I agree with Sensei, it’s time for you to gain some experience. You’ll do well, if you trust your instincts and listen to Raph.” he assured her.  
“Especially if you listen to the last part”, came another smug voice. The turtle in red stood at the far end with his arms crossed, smirking.  
“Are you coming or what?” he said as he turned around halfway, indicating Venus to follow. Leo gave her a nod and Mikey gave her an encouraging smile which she returned. She steadied herself and crossed the lair to accompany Raph.

Raph told her to go into full Ninja stealth-mode and went first up the manhole once he deemed the alley clear. Venus followed close behind, and as soon as they got up on the ground, they climbed the nearest building onto the roof.   
The air was crisp and cleaner here than below, and she took the opportunity to gulp it down deep into her lungs. It wasn’t the same as the air in the forest, but it was close enough.  
Raph made a low sound to gain her attention, and then he headed off over the rooftops at great speed. Venus had no trouble keeping up, it was a great feeling to stretch her muscles as she flew over the wide gaps between the buildings.   
Eventually Raph stopped and turned towards her as she came up.  
“Remember the rules; Never get seen by humans, don’t go into something you can’t handle, and never go into something alone. Got it?”  
“Got it,” she replied earnestly. “Where do we start?”  
“This is usually a good place to begin. It’s a rough area, but still a lot of normal people live here. We patrol here in a perimeter, if it’s quiet we can take a tour around Shredder’s and Kraangs’ old hideouts.”

They went around looking for signs of trouble. It didn’t take long before they heard muffled but distressed sounds coming from a dark alley. When they looked down they saw a middled aged man getting mugged by a thief with a knife. As the thug tried to leave, he went briefly out of sight in the shadows.   
The terrified man didn’t really see anything, but he saw some movements and heard some grunts before everything went quiet again and his wallet was tossed back from the dark corners towards him on the ground. Not sure what to make of it, he scrambled for his possession and ran in the opposite direction.

Later the turtles spotted three young women, apparently on their way home from a party. Instincts told them to follow and they were right. Only minutes later a large gang approached, and as the girls tried to choose a different path, they were spotted and followed. Eventually they got cornered on a side road, and the faces of the young males looked anything but benignant.  
One of the girls tried to act tough, but the others couldn’t help sobs escaping them. The young men snickered and got closer, calling for their attention in an unflattering manner.   
Just before any of them could lay their hands on any of the women, a throwing star grazed the shoulder on what appeared to be the leader. He cried out, making the others jump and look around.   
“Come out where we can see you, coward!” he bellowed. The gang heard some noise further down the side road, but it was too dark to see anything. The leader ordered two of them to check it out, and they were quick to obey.  
While the others waited they could hear sounds of fighting, but it ceased all too soon. When their leader called the names of the guys that had went, they didn’t respond.   
The young men looked uncertainly at each other, clearly discomforted. The boss scolded them, called them weaklings and commanded them to get their weapons out and go after the others.  
Four men hesitantly edged closer to the darkness and called for their lost comrades. Eventually they went further in, but were met with the same result. After some screaming, one of the last guys came flying back through the air and landed hard on the asphalt. He scrambled to his feet and ran for it, dragging the leader with him who was now white as a sheet in the face.   
The young women stood there paralyzed for a while before the shortest of them called for her friends’ attention that they should hurry and get home. The other who had been sobbing complied immediately, but the bravest girl turned towards the dark corners and shouted “Thank you” before she too left on swift feet.

Back on the roof Venus felt vigorous. Her elated manner made Raph chuckle.  
“You liked that, didn’t you?”  
“You bet I did!” She exclaimed. “Did you see their faces? They went running for their lives!”  
“I agree it was very satisfying. But I have to say I’m surprised you enjoyed it that much. I never really took you for the violent type, except for when someone is threatening your father...” Raph said, leaning against a billboard with his arms crossed.  
“Well, I wouldn’t say it’s the violence that pleases me” she answered. She had to consider her thoughts before she went on.  
“It’s more about, doing something. To have a purpose. I’ve trained Ninjutsu all my life, and it’s great when you have to defend yourself. But to be able to use your skills for something greater, it makes you feel like you can contribute with something to make the world a little better.”  
Raph nodded, and the tiniest show of features tweaking upwards in a smile were visible.  
“I agree” was all he said.  
After another hour things seemed quiet. Raph took her on a tour and showed her some of the city. Since the old hideouts of their enemies were still, they had time to visit a park where he let her climb the trees for a while. Raph waited for her on the ground keeping a lookout since he wasn’t remotely interested in joining her among the leaves. She appreciated the gesture anyway. The park couldn’t even slightly resemble her forest back home, but it was a good feeling to have steady branches beneath her feet again.  
Eventually they headed back to the lair, chatting away about the night’s events.


	8. I've got you

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The turtles finds out that the Purple Dragons and the Footbots are working together. When they try to find out why, they get ambushed. Raph can't control his impulses, which gets Venus in trouble.  
> It works out as Leo manages to save her.  
> In the aftermath, Venus shows that she's not angry with Raph.

The next evening all of the turtles went up to the surface. They combined patrol with pleasure, roaming free around the blocks and showing off their acrobatic skills. Venus proved to be a natural talent at this since she could spring the highest, seemingly without much effort.  
They were all laughing and having a blast when Mikey drew their attention towards the streets below.  
“Hey guys, take a look. Isn’t that some of the Purple Dragons? What are they doing mingling with the Footbots?”  
Everybody came closer to the edge to take a look. There were four Dragons, Venus could tell by some of their tattoos and their purple bands. She also recognized the enormous Tigerclaw from the night when she had found the guys, but the other figures she hadn’t seen before: all black with red headbands and ninja weapons, all identical.  
“What are they?” she whispered to Donnie who was closest to her.  
“They’re Footbots. Shredder’s minions. Stay wary of them, they are ninja robots excellently programmed to learn your moves and adapt in order to defeat you.”  
“And they’re up to something fishy, that’s for sure.” Raph said on her other side. “What should we do Fearless leader?”  
Leo studied the scene before he spoke. “We need to know what they’re up to. Them working together is never a good sign. Full ninja stealth mode, we’re getting closer.”  
All of them silently worked their way down in the shadows. Unfortunately, before they were close enough to listen in, Mikey slipped on a loose brick and gave a yelp. Instantly all of the enemies had their eyes on them and lunged forward in attack.  
“Everybody, stay together!” Leo yelled before they were all engaged in fierce battle. Venus found herself a little overwhelmed and had to use every ounce of her skill to fight off her foes. The Dragons were manageable, but just as Donnie had warned her the Footbots were a completely different story. They learnt all of her moves and countered them constantly, pushing her further back. Fortunately both Mikey and Donnie came to her aid and helped her turn the robots into scrap metal.  
Now that she had a chance to look up she saw Raph and Leo fighting Tigerclaw just before the giant cat called to retreat. He and the remaining Footbots climbed the buildings and ran over the rooftops, while the Purple Dragons fled for their lives on ground level.  
Venus tried to still her beating heart as the adrenaline flooded her veins. Her grip on her daggers were still tight and she was thankful to have the tallest and the shortest turtle on either side.  
Raph stuck his sais in his belt furiously.  
“Sewer apples, we were so close! Thanks a lot Mikey.”  
“I’m sorry, alright? It’s not like I did it on purpose” came his meek voice.  
“I know it’s irritating, but he couldn’t know that brick was loose” came Leo in his defense.  
“Maybe not, but you could’ve decided to spring a surprise attack on them and force some answers once we’d captured one of them” Raph retorted.  
“If we had, there’d be a risk they would’ve lied to us or refused to give us any information” Leo snapped back.  
“Well, it came to the same result. Nothing. So what now?”  
Leo looked up. “We can try and follow them, come on!”  
They all climbed onto the roof and headed off in the same direction that the Footbots had gone. It didn’t take long before Donnie spotted them ahead. He signaled to the others and they all took cover behind a water tank and ventilation shafts.  
Tigerclaw and four Footbots could be seen in plain sight on a vast roof. Raph was eager to attack.  
“What are we waiting for? Let’s strike now!  
Leo on the other hand, was hesitating.  
“Something isn’t right” he said.  
“What on earth do you mean? They’re right there! “ was the grumpy reply.  
“Exactly, it’s too easy. We’ll lay low for now and head home.”  
Raph grasped his head. “You can’t be serious! Why are you such a sissy?!”  
“We’re going home, Raph. Now.”  
The two eldest stood face to face, only a few feet apart. They were both making use of every inch of their height and tried to stare each other down. Venus wasn’t sure how to react. Donnie and Mikey looked as uncomfortable as she felt, but they seemed used to this bullheading scene.  
Eventually Raph looked away and crossed his arms, fuming. Leo turned around to head back to the lair and the others rose to follow him. The hot head also took two steps before he stopped and looked back towards their enemies.  
“Screw it” he said, and then he was off, already halfway there before the others could react.  
“Raph, no! Damn it…” Leo muttered under his breath, and then he signaled to the others to follow.  
Their brother had already engaged in a fight with the nearest Footbot when Venus and the guys reached him. The turtles clashed in just in time to meet the blades of the other three.  
“Glad you could join me” came Raph’s smug voice as he buried his sai in the neck of one of them.  
“You’re an ass” Leo shouted in reply as he deflected a deadly blow.  
“Ha! You’re just moody because I…” he trailed off. The Footbots had stopped attacking and were regrouping. Tigerclaw was laughing in a mean way that didn’t bode well. Venus had her back to Mikey’s and tried to look everywhere at once. Then they saw it.  
It was an ambush. From all sides climbed more Footbots, surrounding them and outnumbering them. The turtles edged closer to each other in order to cover each others’ backs.  
“Uhm, Leo? Got any plan?” Donnie’s voice was more high pitched than usual. Venus looked desperately to the leader in blue and hoped he had a miracle in store. Leo’s features were grim as he was thinking fast.  
“We need to move fast. Mikey!” The youngest got in front of them all.  
“Booyakasha!”  
All went dark as he threw something on the ground, and then they were running.  
They managed to reach another rooftop before they were spotted by Tigerclaw.  
“Get them!” he commanded, and the Footbots came swarming after them. The turtles ran for their lives.  
Leo used their head start to their advantage, instructing the others how to trap the pursuing robots two or three at a time and taking them out while running. They used everything they had: throwing stars, grappling hooks, decoys and a lot of stealth tricks.  
Venus felt like they had been at it for ages, but through team effort they narrowed them down until only eight remained. That’s when their group wheeled around to face the robotic ninjas in black.  
Her heart was pumping viciously. It had been tough that night when she alone had to protect her father from Kraang, but this was far more intense than anything she’d had to do before, even with her four new friends to help. As they stood there lined up, she gritted her teeth and waited for their first move.  
The Footbots engaged, and the turtles responded. Venus clashed her blade with one of the robots at what felt like an impossible speed. Suddenly she had to use all of her agility as she dodged an attack from the side by another bot, and her first opponent disappeared. It seemed that they used their more numerous advantage to constantly switch opponent in the hopes of disorientate them and eventually striking them from behind.  
Venus silently thanked her reflexes and her training sessions with Raph as she had to use all of her strength to repel the flood of attacks from all directions. Once in awhile she managed an attack of her own, but there was no question that they had her moving backwards. She tried to get a grip on how the others were doing. Leo, Raph, Mikey and Donnie were still on their feet fighting as furiously as herself with a few Footbots taken out on the ground.  
Her attention whipped back to her own foe just in time to save her throat from being cut. She swirled her daggers, putting everything she had into it and lunged forward to bury her right blade deep between the glowing eyes that went out with a wink. Right at that moment she percepted rather than saw the roundhouse kick from another figure in black that sent her flying over the edge of the roof, and all she could feel was the rush of panic and the sense of falling, falling…

The world fell into slow motion. Her mouth opened in a scream that she couldn’t hear, her arms flailing for something to grab onto, but there was nothing. She twirled around without control, not knowing what was up or down, but always the terrible sense of her body rushing towards the ground.  
In the corner of her eye she saw something coming flying towards her, and as it grabbed her around her waist the world jumped back to normal speed. Leo twisted them both in midair and used his grappling hook to shoot it across the street and hook onto another building. Not letting her go they swung like a pendulum, and Venus clasped her arms around his neck and torso in order to hold on.  
Leo landed his feet firmly on the wall of the other building, making the world come to a halt. She was shaking all over, her head knew she was safe, but her body wasn’t quite as quick to grasp that fact. She tried to control her trembling so she wouldn’t lose her grip.  
Leo looked down at her with concern in his deep blue eyes.  
“Are you alright?”  
The trembling affected her voice as well.  
“I think so… I’m not hurt. But… I think that’s enough experience gaining for one night.” She tried to chuckle, but it didn’t sound right.  
“It’s okay, I’ve got you.”  
He held her a little tighter to show he meant it. Venus buried her face into his shoulder and just held on.  
It didn’t take long before the others had defeated the rest of the Footbots so they could help her and Leo to get down. 

Back at the lair they were all kneeling in the dojo in front of Sensei. As the leader, Leo gave a report on everything that had happened. As expected, Sensei grew angry with Raphael for disobeying Leo’s orders. They argued for a short time, but since Raph didn’t really have anything substantial in his defence, he took off on his own to cool down. The rest of them were dismissed, and Venus considered for a while before she went after Raph.  
It wasn’t particularly hard to find him, he could be heard from miles away as he threw stuff around him in one of the tunnels and was screaming in frustration. When he spotted her he went still in surprise, but quickly turned as sour as before.  
“And what do you want? An apology for almost getting you killed?” he mumbled.  
“No”  
“Then what? You came to gloat about me being wrong?”  
“Why should I?”  
This made Raph confused. “You think I was right?”  
“No,” she replied firmly, “Leo was right, and you should’ve listened to him. You know that.”  
Raph stubbornly turned his back to her.  
“So why are you here?”  
“I’m giving you a break.” she said. Raph glanced at her over his shoulder to see if she was mocking him.  
“Look, if you want to be alone, I’ll leave you alone. I’m just giving you the option if you prefer company.”  
“Why would you do that? It was my fault what happened.”  
Venus shrugged her shoulders. “You made a mistake, you’re already beating yourself up for it, so why should I do it too? Besides, Mikey made a mistake too when he gave us away, and I should have seen that kick coming.”  
She sat down. “We all learnt something today. I need to stay of the edges, and you need to trust Leo’s judgment. He’s a really good leader.”  
“I know…” Raph sat down to, his anger subsiding, “...I do know that, and to keep his head clear under pressure like that to get us all out of it safely, he does it all the time. I just… I need to control my hot headedness” he said as he slumped his shoulders.  
“To admit once faults, is the first step to learning” she stated.  
“Now you just sound like Sensei”, he scolded, but he couldn’t help smiling. Venus returned it.


	9. The locket

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After learning that one of the Purple Dragons has her locket she sneaks out of the lair to retrieve it. The turtles find out and follow her.

Donnie was working in his lab while he waited for Mr Hayashi. He was due for a check-up, and even though Donnie had offered to come to their place, Mr Hayashi had insisted that he came to them. He had said it would do him good to get out a little, and Donnie thought he looked forward to having some tea and a long chat with Sensei.  
Suddenly he heard Mikey’s laughter approaching. “Oh no”, he thought to himself, and quickly stored some of the most sensitive chemicals away before his youngest brother appeared in the doorway.   
To his relief, a giggling Venus came in too. No matter how infectious Mikey’s elated mood was on her, Donnie felt assured that she would keep an eye on him to make sure he didn’t break anything.  
“What up D? Got something fun going on?” he asked cheerfully bursting forward. In doing so he accidentally knocked down some test tubes, which Venus caught due to her quick reflexes before they smashed onto the floor. Donnie slowly exhaled.  
“No fun, I’m just analyzing incoming data from my spy-roaches that I’ve planted around the Dragons’ head quarters.”  
“Really? What for?” Mikey continued. At the same time he spotted some of Donnie’s unfinished decoys and were just about to fidget with them when Venus caught his arm.  
“Probably shouldn’t mess with that” she confided in a low voice. Mikey looked up at her with a surprised look. “Oh, right”, he said and turned away. Donnie had no idea how she did it, but it was beautiful magic.  
“Ever since we saw the Footclan and the Purple Dragons talking to each other I’ve wanted to find out why.” He leaned back in his chair and stretched his arms over his head. “I thought that the Dragons would be more talkative than the Footbots, so I planted them there in the hopes that they would let something slip to give us some clue to what they’re planning.”  
“Sounds good, anything come up so far?” Mikey restlessly circled around the work space, his eyes scanning for something interesting.  
“Not yet. I was right about them being talkative, but they are mostly just gossiping about each other”. Venus came around and took the other seat next to him, slowly letting it spin around as she had nothing better to do. At the far end a new trinket had caught Mikey’s attention. He got down at eye-level with the unfamiliar thing and lifted his index finger to poke at it. He jumped back screaming as a small flame bursted out a hand span and burnt him lightly.  
Donnie turned to Venus with one of his eyebrows raised. “Why didn’t you stop him this time?”  
Venus peered at him from the side with a smirk. “Well, he didn’t break anything, did he?” It was impossible for Donnie to keep a straight face.   
She flung her braid onto her back and drew herself closer to the monitors. “Can we do anything to help?”  
“Not right now, thanks. I’ve already listened to all of the recordings and gone through all pictures to see if some familiar faces have shown up.”  
“Wow, you seriously need a hobby” came Mikey’s voice from behind, still sucking on his burnt finger. Donnie shot him an angry look.  
“Just because I’m being productive, doesn’t mean it’s not a hobby.”  
“But it’s boring!”  
“I find it relaxing”  
Mikey rolled his eyes. “Well, I’m gonna go enjoy a real hobby. I’ve found the next issue of Wingnut and Screwloose!” he proclaimed and left the room.  
Donnie sighed, Venus laughed.   
“At least it’s easier to concentrate with him at a safe distance” she winked at him.  
“I suppose” he said smiling, and clicked some buttons.  
“What were your hobbies before you came here?” he suddenly asked.  
“Dancing”, she said and blushed.  
“Really? What kind?”  
“Mostly modern, but I like the discipline in ballet and jazz.”  
“Where did you learn?”  
“From Youtube. Isolated as we were, I was still blessed with an internet connection.”  
“Are you any good?”  
“That’s impossible for me to judge!” she said with a shy smile. “I never danced in front of anyone, I was doing it for myself. It’s great therapy you know, using music and your body to express what’s hard to form in words.”  
Donnie looked at her, genuinely intrigued. “Did you do that often?”  
“Yeah, I guess. Every time I felt sad or lonely I would dance it out. Or when I was angry after an argument with father. But it worked the same when I was happy or excited about something, then it really enhanced the feeling.” She giggled to herself lost in memory, then sighed deeply as she put her head on her elbows, staring past the blinking screen in front of her.  
It gave Donnie an idea. “Give me your T-phone”, he said, and Venus did as he asked. He plugged it into one of his computers and started downloading something. Then he wheeled around and searched his drawers. She looked at him, curious.  
“Found them!” he exclaimed in triumph. “Here are some spare headphones I’ve managed to repair. You can have them, and soon I’ll have downloaded a couple of hundred songs into your T-phone for a start. If you miss anything you can just come by and make some requests.”  
Venus was smiling from ear to ear. “Thanks Donnie!”  
“No problem”  
For the next thirty minutes they sat looking at some incoming data from the spy-roaches. It showed nothing of interest, only some of the Dragons hanging outside the door smoking and comparing battle scars. Donnie felt his eye-lids getting heavier and yawned.  
“Hey Donnie, is it possible to rewind the surveillance video if need be?”  
“Hm? Yeah, sure. You control it on this panel, you can even zoom in if you want to.” He stretched his limbs until they creaked, then he got up.  
“I need something from the kitchen, how about you?”  
“No thanks, I’m good.”  
“Alright, be back in a sec”.  
“Mhm” she mumbled, eyes fixed on the monitor.  
He found a soda can and some leftover pizza in the fridge. He had time to gulp it down before he heard Leo calling for him.  
“Donnie! You’ve got a visitor”  
He went out into the living area to meet a waiting Mr Hayashi. The big rodent smiled benevolently at him.  
“Hello Donatello, how good to see you again.”  
“You too Mr Hayashi. Are you feeling well?”  
“I’ll let you be the judge of that, where do you want me?”  
“It’s easier if we get into my lab, all my equipments are there.”  
He took the lead and Mr Hayashi followed him. To Donnie’s surprise, Venus wasn’t there. He turned back towards the living area.  
“Leo! Is Venus there with you?”  
“No, I thought she was in your lab?”  
“She was just minutes ago. Will you check if she’s gone to Mikey’s room?”  
Donnie turned back to Mr Hayashi who looked concerned.   
“Is everything alright with Venus?”  
“I don’t know. She was helping me surveilling the Purple Dragons’ hideout. It’s not like it’s her job, but she usually never leaves without saying something first.”   
Mr Hayashi made a frown, clearly thinking the same. Suddenly both Leo and Mikey rushed in.  
“We can’t find her, we think she’s left the lair” Leo said.  
“Why would she do that?” Donnie asked.  
“I don’t know, she was in a good mood today, did that change in here? Mikey said.  
“No! On the contrary. I’ll call her to see where…” he stopped. His eyes had landed on her T-phone which still was attached to his computer.  
At that moment Raph came in and joined them.   
“I’ve looked everywhere, but you’re right. She’s not in the lair. She must have snuck out recently.”  
“And I’m getting the feeling that she doesn’t want to be found. She knows I can track all of the T-phones.” Donnie said, feeling guilty.  
Leo shook his head, frustrated. “It doesn’t make sense. It seems she’s gone off alone and doesn’t want us to know where. Why would she do that?”  
“I think I know why.”  
Four heads simultaneously whipped around to look at Mr Hayashi, who was facing the monitor. It showed an image of one of the Purple Dragons, magnified so that only his face and upper body were visible. Mr Hayashi pointed at a locket around his neck.  
“That is Venus’ locket that got stolen from us on our first night here. It has a great personal value to her. My guess is that she has gone to reclaim it, and is terrified that you would try to stop her.  
Donnie looked back at his brothers, who all seemed bewildered.  
“Come on”, Leo said, “we’re heading out.”

She was crouching behind the edge of the roof above the Purple Dragons’ head quarters. Her body was completely still but her mind was racing. She could see the guy who had her locket around his scrawny neck, but how long would he remain outside?   
When she first had gotten there he wasn’t to be seen, and she had panicked. Luckily he had come out only a few minutes later with two other guys to smoke. Now they had finished their cigarettes and were just hanging around, but the chill weather made her suspect that they wouldn’t stay out for much longer.   
To regain the locket would be nearly impossible if they went inside, she could hear several other members of the gang in there. Still, it was very bad odds to try and get the locket three against one. What was even worse, four other Dragons hung around the vicinity. If she got held up even just for a few seconds they would surely be over her.  
Despite all these facts she could feel her heart hammering against her plastron. It was so close, what if this was her only chance? Would she risk it?  
Without thinking straight she got up and prepared herself for the surprise attack. If she was quick enough…  
“Venus!” someone called in a hushed voice. She turned her head halfway around and saw Mikey, followed by all of his three brothers.   
She faced forward again and closed her eyes. Of course, she had forgotten to erase the image on the monitor. She steadied herself and went back to analyzing the scene below for the best angle to spring upon her target.  
Mikey came up close behind her, sounding concerned. “Ve, are you okay?”  
“What are you doing here Mikey?” she said in a flat voice.  
“What are you doing here alone?” she heard Leo questioning her, a little stern.  
“I’m here to take back what is mine.” She shifted her position. “I can surprise them, get down, land a kick, retrieve the locket and get out.”  
“No, I won’t let you.”  
The command made her stop, but it also made her angry and face the leader in blue.  
“And why not? He stole it from me and I intend to get it back. You can’t stop me, I won’t go home no matter what you say!”  
Venus tried to stare him down even though he was half a head taller and towered over her with his arms crossed in front of him, but Leo surprised her:  
“Who said anything about going home?”  
It certainly wasn’t what she had expected, and it made her speechless.  
Leo smirked, “What we need is a better plan”.  
He gathered them all close. After inspecting the area and noticing the number of Dragons about, he whispered instructions and they all took action accordingly.  
It was quick and effective. Donnie sent one of his decoys running past one of the groups, making faint sounds and continuing into some shadows. This made all dragons wary and face the same direction. The guys who were farthest away were the first to disappear, secondly the two who followed the decoy into the darkness. It made the remaining three wary as they sensed something wasn’t right. One of them turned around just in time to see Raph coming towards him, but his scream came to late and was soon muffled. Luckily, none inside the head quarters had heard him, and the last two were easily overpowered and knocked out before they too could try and raise an alarm. A green, fine-limbed hand loosened the silver locket around the tall guys neck, and quickly vanished from the scene.  
Once the turtles were up on the roofs again they made sure to put some distance behind them before they stopped to celebrate their mini-victory.  
“And that’s how you deal with the Purple Dragons! High three!” Mikey cheered, and they all joined him in the gesture.  
Venus was beaming and sat down with her treasure securely in her hand. She played with the chain around her fingers and caressed the locket itself with her thumb. Leo and Donnie sat down in front of her, and she stole a quick glance at the leader.  
“I thought you were angry with me, that you were going to stop me.”  
He shook his head in response. “I was angry with you for going off alone, you could have gotten into serious trouble.”  
“We were lucky that your father could point us in the right direction when he saw your locket on the screen”, Donnie filled in.  
She nodded, and lifted her head. Grey eyes met deep blue. “I’m sorry”, she said.  
Leo gave a smile and a nod. “Just promise me that you’ll trust us next time”.  
Venus returned the smile, not breaking eye-contact. “Okay”.  
Mikey slid down next to her and came up shoulder-to-shoulder in order to inspect the prize. “So what is it? Can you tell us about it?”  
Venus frowned in confusion. “Didn’t father tell you that?”  
“No, we went after you before he got any chance”, the light green turtle responded.  
“But… you mean you risked taking on the entire gang of the Purple Dragons just because I wanted something?”  
“Why wouldn’t we? He said it was important to you”, Raph stated as he too got in front of her.   
“Of course we would help you in any way we can”, Donnie offered.  
“Yeah! You’re one of us now” Mikey proclaimed as he laid an arm around her shoulder and gave her a friendly squeeze.   
Leo’s gaze confirmed all they said. Venus didn’t know what to say. She probably couldn’t have said anything anyway because of the big lump in her throat.  
The guys sat silently with her, affirming the bond that had been stated. Eventually she felt she had some control over her voice.  
“This locket… belonged to my mom.   
It is the only thing I have left of her, and contains the only picture I have o her. It’s tricky to open it, so I hope it’s still there.”  
She fiddled a little with it, and after a few tries it opened. The inside revealed a tiny photo of a young, smiling woman with long golden hair that curled naturally at the ends. The four brothers leaned in to see it.  
“You have her smile”, Leo said, and it made Venus glow with pride.   
Some time later they left together and she was dropped off by her window. After waving the four of them good bye, she climbed into bed and fell asleep curled up, feeling all warm inside, happy.   
She had won much more than just the locket tonight.


	10. The burden of a leader

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The turtles find out about a threat and search for it to deal with it. They manage, but not without injuries.  
> It falls upon Leo and Venus to take care of the others and while they do, she gets to know Leo a lot better.

Mikey and Raph were on patrol. They were on the look-out for something, but not really sure what. The news had reported about something lurking in the city for several days in a row now. Several people had been attacked and scared, and all of them had had cuts after the encounter. However, none of them could seem to remember any details, only that it had been dark and the thing had been fast.  
Leo was sure it had something to do with the Foot clan, and wanted to find the threat before panic arose among the humans. So here they were, scanning the streets for something unusual, and Mikey wasn’t on his most patient mood today.  
“Argh… we’ve been here for hours! When can we go home?” he complained, rolling around like a toddler in the grocery store. Raph sighed and clenched his fists so he wouldn’t strangle him. He hated to pair up with his shortest brother.  
“We’ve been here thirty minutes, Mikey. You know as well as I that we should at least be here for another hour and a half”.  
The orange-clad turtle groaned even louder, and Raph mustered all his effort to block out the annoying brat. He sensed him creeping closer behind his back.  
“Sooo, what do you think it is that attacks people?” Mikey asked as he poked Raph in the side.  
“Wouldn’t be here if I knew, would I?” he retorted, slapping his hand away.  
“Do you think it’s a new robot that Stockman’s invented?” He poked his other side, Raph slapped harder.  
“Could be”  
“Can’t I just skate around while you keep watch?” he pleaded, now poking him on the upper arm.  
“You know two sets of eyes see more than one”, Raph grumbled.  
“Yeah, if we split up, but Leo insisted that we stay together so what’s the point…” he reached up to poke Raph in the head, but was abruptly cut off. Raph had grabbed his wrist with one hand, spun around to grab his neck with the other, and in one swift motion he had laid the younger down on the roof, pressing a knee just hard enough on the top of his shell to pin him down while continuing to keep a look-out.  
“You’re right, one set of eyes should be enough. You just stay down, it’s probably a good idea to keep quiet too if you want to get up any time soon.” Raph smirked. Mikey grouched.  
His younger brother actually managed to hold his tongue for ten minutes. Raph relented and permitted him to stand up, sour as he was.   
They moved on and searched the alleys for something suspicious. They were just about to give up when Mikey spotted something.  
“What in the world is that?” he exclaimed pointing.   
Raph looked over the edge. Some kind of animal was searching for food in a dumpster. He squinted at the object below.  
“I think… it’s some kind of black porcupine”, he said.  
“Yeah, but it’s seriously overgrown! I bet it reaches above my knees”, Mikey said.  
“And those quills looks more like razors than anything, I bet that’s what’s caused all the cuts on the people that’ve been attacked.”  
As they watched the thing a rat came up as if to fight the porcupine for the food. The bigger animal made short work of it as it lazily shot one of the sharp quills right in the head of the rat which ran back to where it came from shrieking.  
“It must be a mutant,” Raph said, “I better call Donnie to come up here with some retro-mutagen before it takes off.”  
He made the call while Mikey kept an eye on the thing.  
“Heads up, Razorpine is on the move”  
“Razorwhat?”  
“Razorpine, it looks like a porcupine with razor quills”.  
“Okay, I get it. What was that about him being on the move?”  
“I guess he’s finished eating and is heading back to the shadows”.  
“Damn it, we can’t lose him now, Donnie and the others will be here in minutes.”  
“What should we do?”  
“We follow it at a distance, to keep track on it until we can spray it with the orange stuff”.  
Raph and Mikey jumped down and headed in the same direction it had gone. They lost sight of it, but it couldn’t have gone far. Both went further into the murky alley, green and blue eyes scanned all the corners for a hint of movement.   
Due to it’s dark color, they spotted it too late. It jumped out in front of them, making a hissing sound.   
“Easy there, buddy. We’re not gonna harm you” Mikey cooed. But Razorpine would have none of it. It shot one of its quills at him, which Mikey dodged with a yelp. That startled Raph, which made it shoot one at him too. He ducked and could literally hear the quill swish just an inch above his head.   
When Razorpine missed both its targets the eyes turned red and it went into a frenzy. It dashed around shooting more razor sharp quills after them and had them both dancing before they retreated for cover.   
Unfortunately that didn’t satisfy the creature. Every miss made it his more aggressively and dart around in a flurry. The dark color made it almost impossible to keep track of its movements. Eventually one of the projectiles cut Mikey in the shoulder, making him cry out. The sound sent a chill down Raph’s spine.  
“Mikey! Are you okay?” he shouted out.  
“I’m okay, but it stings like crazy!”  
Razorpine sensed its opportunity and focused the attacks on the smaller turtle. It landed several other hits which made Mikey fall to his knees.  
“MIKEY!” Raph bellowed and lunged forward. In his adrenaline rush he threw a loose brick lying around at the assailant to gain its attention.   
It worked. Razorpine turned to the bigger turtle and shot a hailstorm of sharp ammunition at him. Raph used all his skill to block the quills using his sais, but he was nowhere near getting any closer to the thing, so he kept retreating. At least he was drawing it away from Mikey, who had fallen down and was too still.  
Suddenly he saw shadows flying over him, and he knew the others had come. Leo was audible somewhere above.  
“Raph, are you okay? Where’s Mikey?”  
“Watch out! Its aim is freakishly good!” he shouted, just before he felt a searing pain in his calf. He staggered as it numbed his movements just a little, but it was enough to throw him off his balance and made him take another hit in the arm.  
Donnie came down in front of him, spinning his bo-staff to block the incoming quills.   
“Donnie! Spray it with the retro-mutagen!” Raph shouted.  
“It’s out of range! We need to get closer!”   
Leo and Venus hastily came down to join the fight. They all worked together to confuse the mutated porcupine in order to make Donnie come closer. At first it seemed they would succeed, but in the last second Razorpine spotted purple behind it and lashed out with its tail, hitting Donnie with five quills in one shot. He shrieked, and the bottle with retro-mutagen flew out of his hand, but Raph caught it just before it broke on the ground.   
“Watch out! The cuts seem to have a drowsing effect..” came Donnie’s faint voice before he fell into a heap.  
The remaining three continued to circle the aggressive mutant, but Raph could feel himself getting sluggish from his cuts too. Right before he got hit a third and a fourth time, he managed to pass the bottle to Venus.  
“Venus, catch!” he shouted before he fell, helplessly watching as there were only two left of them.  
Venus and Leo avoided keeping still, and always positioned themselves at opposite sides. Razorpine spun around furiously, shooting wildly at the irritating enemies. Leo whirled around and threw a lid from a trash-can towards Venus.  
“Here!” he shouted, and she was quick to catch on, grabbing the shield in mid-air.  
Leo got two other lids for himself and repeatedly taunted the black animal into attacking him, tricking it to look away from Venus who crawled nearer from above.   
Raph’s heart hammered fast. If they too got cut and they all fell into unconsciousness they would be found by humans when the sun got up, if Razorpine didn’t do anything worse to them first…  
He watched as Venus flung herself down, bottle in hand. His mouth opened in a quiet scream as the razor-clad mutant turned around and took its aim. Just before she was hit Venus blocked most of the quills with the trash-lid before she threw the bottle with all her might, and it cracked open against its head.   
The mutant made agitated noises as the orange retro-mutagen transformed it, shrinking it into a normal and innocent looking porcupine.  
Raph sighed with relief, and he saw Leo coming towards him looking concerned. But he had concerns of his own.  
“Are Mikey and Donnie alright?”  
“Their breathing is normal, I think they’ll be fine once we get to treat the cuts. What about you?”  
“Okay I think, the cuts sting like hell and it feels like I’m drugged. I don’t trust myself to get up.”  
“Don’t worry, we’ll think of something.”  
Raph nodded before his mind sunk down into oblivion.

Leo made sure his brother was comfortable before he turned to Venus who approached him from behind.   
“What are we gonna do now?” she asked.  
“We need to find cover. It’s too far to the nearest manhole, we’ll risk getting seen if we try to get them there on street level. We find a place nearby to hide and call April and Casey for help.”  
Fortunately there was an old shed in the next alley where they managed to get the other three with combined forces. Donnie, Raph and Mikey fell in and out of consciousness due to the venom in the cuts. Both Leo and Venus had gotten a pair of cuts as well, but felt they could stay alert as long as they kept moving.   
The wounds were burning red and swollen. Leo went through the trouble of finding patches, bandages and some palliative cream in the nearby buildings to treat them as best as they could.   
Venus worked on Mikey, who had the most cuts, while Leo took care of Donnie and Raph. When he had finished he saw Venus trying to treat one of her own wounds on her side. She strained to get a good look but gave it up as futile.  
“Leo, will you give me a hand here?” She asked and raised her arm to expose the gash to him. He came closer to inspect it. It was quite nasty, and the top of it came close to the light blue cloth that went around her chest.  
Suddenly Leo became very shy, highly aware of what he was doing. Venus detected his awkwardness and gave him a gentle smile.  
“Come on Leo, just do it, please.” she said.  
Leo gave in and applied the cream generously. Venus drew a sharp breath but kept still. He eased his motions, and rubbed it in ever so gently, which gradually made her relax again.  
“You were great out there,” he said to break the tension. She smiled.  
“You weren’t too bad yourself, it was your plan and all.” He couldn’t help the warm feeling at the praise.  
“Do you always come up with plans in the middle of the heat?” she asked. Leo shrugged his shoulders and reached for a long strip of patch.  
“Sometimes, mostly I react on instinct to keep us out of harm's way until I can come up with something. But I prefer to have some time planning before we find ourselves in the middle of the action.”  
“Well, you had me impressed”  
“Thank you”  
Leo switched his attention to a cut on her upper arm.   
“You want help with that too?”  
“Please.” Venus sat down next to him, and he reached for the cream again. This time she was more prepared for the stinging sensation, but Leo took just as great care with this wound, even though it was considerably smaller.  
“What’s hardest about being a leader?” she asked curiously. He stole her a quick glance before he returned his attention to her arm.  
“To tell the truth, to handle the fear.”  
“Fearless have fears?”  
“Constantly”  
“Like what?”  
“Like any of you getting hurt, and it being my fault.”  
Leo picked up a bandage and wrapped it around the wound. He could feel her grey, soft eyes rest upon him.  
“It never shows.”  
“That’s part of the leadership, no one would follow a leader if he seems uncertain.”  
“I’ve never really thought about that.”   
“And you shouldn’t have to. That is my burden to bear.” He finished his wrapping with a knot.   
“Other than that, the hardest part is making the others do what I tell them to.”   
Venus chuckled. “I can see the problem”. Leo chuckled too.  
Suddenly she gasped and grabbed his wrist, turning it face up.  
“Leo, your palm!” There was cut in his palm. It wasn’t really that bad to begin with, but left untreated it was extremely red, swollen and irritated.  
“It must hurt like hell,” she exclaimed.  
Leo tried to ignore the throbbing. “I was going to tend to it.”  
“Seems like I’m beating you to it,” she said and picked up the cream.  
“I can do it myself,” he protested, but Venus was firm.  
“Probably, but it would be clumsy. Besides, it feels good to treat the Invincible Leonardo.” she stated.  
“Invincible what? he blurted out. But then he had to hold his breath as she stroke the cream in his palm with great care. Still, it was pleasant.  
Venus laughed at his reaction. “It’s what you appear to be. Always in control, fights off the most foes, best in training and never gets hurt.”  
It was too much praise to bear, and he blushed violently.   
“It’s not true I never get hurt,” he said when he was able to breathe again.  
“Really? What’s the worst you’ve gotten?” She grabbed a bandage and wrapped his hand carefully.  
He hesitated before he answered.  
“Three months in coma followed by a long road to recovery and a wounded knee.”  
Venus was visibly startled by what he had said. It took some time before she proceeded with the wrapping.  
“I’m sorry, I didn’t know”.  
“Of course not, how could you?”  
She was done with his hand when she noticed another small cut just above his right knee. He followed her gaze and gave her a look.   
“You won’t let me take care of that myself either, will you?”  
“No,” was her curt reply, and she started over with the procedure. Leo ignored the tingling sensation as her fingers stroke over his lower thigh.  
“How did it happen?” she finally asked.  
“When Kraang invaded New York we got separated. I was caught in an ambush by the Foot.”  
“And they managed to hurt you that bad?”  
He shrugged his shoulders as she finished her work with another bandage. “They were better than me, I couldn’t fight them off.”  
“You’re so humble you make me wanna puke,” Raph suddenly burst out in a hoarse voice.  
Leo jerked at the remark, but Venus went to his side to check on him. Raph continued:  
“He got separated because he led Kraang away from Mikey and Donnie. When he reached the surface, he was surrounded by an army of Footbots who attacked him in two waves. He defeated them all but was left exhausted and without his katanas. That’s when Tigerclaw, Fishface and Rahzar attacked him all at once…”  
“Raph…” Leo tried to intervene. His brother ignored him.  
“... and when they had beaten him up pretty bad, he rose and fought them all the same. Only then did Shredder himself come down to strike him hard from behind like a coward.”  
Venus inspected the swollenness around the wounds and felt his forehead for a fever.  
“How are you feeling, Raph?”  
“Still drowsy, I think I’m drifting off again.”  
“Try to stay awake a little longer, keep talking,” she said as she probed on him. Raph was mumbling, but you could still hear what he was saying.  
“He’s always like that… sacrificing himself to save us… I hate when he does… gives me a... freakin’ heart attack… every time…”  
Venus smiled a soft smile. “I can imagine that.”  
Raph shuddered and drifted off again. Venus turned to Leo.  
“The wounds are better, but he’s cold, and the night isn’t getting any warmer.”  
He nodded. “We’re all getting cold. Let’s move them together for warmth and I’ll go call Casey and April to see if they can pick us up in the Party Wagon.”   
They did, and Leo made the call. April picked up her phone on the second ring and it was a quick explanation before she promised to hurry, but it would probably be an hour before they could be there.  
Leo rubbed his eyes, it was getting late and he could finally feel the sedating effect from his wounds. He turned back to Venus who had found something to cover his brothers with. She looked as tired as he felt.  
“I found a couple of blankets, the larger was big enough to cover them the three of them.”  
“Great, you take the other and keep warm, I’ll keep watch until April gets here.”  
Venus rolled her eyes. “Come on Leo, I can see you’re shuddering too. We’ll keep watch together and make sure none of us falls asleep, cause you sure look like you would any minute.”   
She sat down and patted the ground to make him sit next to her. He persuaded himself that he was too tired to argue with her and sat down at the indicated spot. He also told himself that he was only enjoying the shared warmth as he wrapped them both in the blanket.  
They kept a conversation going to help them stay awake.  
“Your brothers are lucky to have you, you know.”  
“Really? Why?”  
“You take care of them. You take great care to protect them.”  
Leo blew some air through his nose. “Sometimes I wish they could see that too”.  
Venus turned to face him. “What makes you think they don’t?”  
He looked back at her in confusion. “They’ve never said anything about it.”  
“They have to me.”  
“They have?”  
“Never directly, but I can sense it when we talk. Mikey speaks very highly of you, he’s very proud of his big brother. He’s also the reason I already knew about the sacrificing part. Donnie looks up to you too, I can tell. He is the smartest, but he admits he could never do what you do. Even Raph admires you..”  
“Yeah, right”  
“He does! He’s just too stubborn to admit it openly, but it’s plain if you read between the lines”.  
Leo still hesitated at her words.  
“If you don’t believe me, you should know that I would follow you anywhere even if I’ve only known you a short time, and it’s not easy to gain my trust.  
Leo bowed his head, gratitude flooded in his veins. “You don’t know how much it means to hear you say all that”.  
Venus leaned against his shoulder. A short time after, the headlights from the Party Wagon were visible.


	11. Falling

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Donnie finds out that the Purple Dragons are going to hand over three mutants to the Foot. The turtles head out to free them, but it gets more complicated than they had expected.  
> During the fight Venus stumbles upon someone unexpected from her past, and Mikey desperately tries to reach her before something bad happens.

Mikey’s stomach groaned in agony. He’d been waiting forever for the pizza guy to show up with his pepperoni special, but soon order would be restored! He sprinted home with the still-hot box in hands and landed with a crash on the couch in the living-area. Leo was there, flicking the remote in the ever-burning hope to find something interesting on the tv during an early afternoon.  
When he opened the box he moaned loudly in despair.  
“Something wrong with your pizza?” Leo asked.  
“Not really, all the good stuff’s there. But they’ve cut it in eight slices!”  
Leo raised an eyebrow, not really seeing the problem. Raph walked by just then.  
“I just really hoped they’d cut it in twelve slices, cause I’m starving.”  
Leo rolled his eyes and turned his attention back to the tv. Raph on the other hand, snorted at him.  
“Mikey you knucklehead… It’s the same amount of pizza, moron.”  
Mikey slumped his shoulders and tried to make himself invisible. He wasn’t in the mood to be made fun of today. But Raph wouldn’t let it go.  
“I swear Sensei must have dropped you on your head more than once, nobody can be so…”  
“Lay off, Raph!” came Venus sharp voice as she shoved him kind of hard in the chest, her eyes shooting lightning bolts.  
“Hey, what’s your problem?” he retorted grumpily, but surprised at the sudden outburst.  
“You are, you’re always at him and making comments as if he isn’t as smart as the rest of you.”  
“Newsflash, he isn’t as smart as the rest of us” Raph said, turning to face her head on now.  
Venus took a step closer, only inches from the bigger turtle with clenched fists.  
“That still doesn’t give you the right to be an ass.”  
She wasn’t screaming, but her tone carried so much weight she didn’t have to.  
Raph opened his mouth, but nothing came out. He simply stood there as the smaller of the two continued to stare him down, challenging him to come up with an argument bearing the slightest validation.  
Mikey could see Leo raise both his eyebrows this time and heard him make a low whistle, and he agreed. It was a marvel to behold watching Raph getting outsmarted by a girl that much smaller than him. It sure felt good too, someone having his back for once.  
“Hey guys, get in here quick!” It was Donnie, he sounded like something was urgent. The others had picked up the distress signal too and were already on their way to his lab. Mikey shoved a slice into his mouth and grabbed two more to go as he sprinted after them.  
When he came in the discussion was already on.  
“Are you sure?” Leo said.  
“Definitely, my spyroaches managed to record the whole conversation between a couple of talkative Dragons.” Donnie clicked on several buttons and turned the monitor for them to see. It was outside the Purple Dragons’ headquarters, where a big cage was being loaded onto a truck. The cage contained what looked like three human-sized mutants.  
“The thugs I listened to talked about how much money they would get when they handed over the mutants to the Foot, they in turn will hand them over to Kraang. I guess that Kraang will supply Shredder and his clan with alien technology in exchange for mutants. I believe that the Foot are only using the Purple Dragons as their minions in this time consuming mission.”  
The camera zoomed in on the cage. The mutants resembled a giant butterfly with battered wings, a squirrel and some kind of raven. Their faces were terrified.  
“I bet ya anything that Kraang will experiment with those poor bastards if they are handed over” Raph said. Both Mikey and Venus looked pleadingly to Leo who leaned in on the desk. But Mikey didn’t have to use his puppy face today.  
“Do we know where and when they will meet up with the Foot?” he asked.  
“I’ve already loaded the coordinates for the meeting place into our T-phones. The pick-up is in forty-five minutes, but their leader wants them to be there early.” Donnie answered efficiently.  
“Then that’s our window. We get there before them and make our plan. When they’ve stopped moving, we free them before the Foot turns up. Gear up!”  
It only took seconds for them all to get ready and head out the exit. Well, Mikey was a little behind as he found the time to stuff another slice of pizza into his mouth before he followed the others, and then fell behind even further as he turned back for more.  
“MIKEY” Raph yelled, and Mikey wheeled around as he made a silent promise to himself to finish the pizza when he got home.

The rooftops provided an excellent view of the meeting place. The turtles had already been there for five minutes before the Purple Dragons turned up, making plans. The truck came up, loaded with bandits, and two other cars came following it. They all jumped down from the flatbed, and three of them started to unload the cage, the rest remained in the vehicles or just hung around.  
Venus shifted next to Mikey. “That’s a few more Dragons than we counted on”, she said. Raph gruffed:  
“Still not enough for it to be a problem.”  
“Usually, no. But it’s trickier when we want to protect the mutants long enough for them to flee,” Leo contradicted.  
“And they will most likely be scared. They have no idea what’s about to happen, let alone that they’ll be rescued by strangers.” Donnie filled in.  
“I bet I could win them over, make them see that we’re helping them.” Mikey said helpfully.  
“You probably can,” Leo said as he scanned the situation again. “Donnie, how long until the Foot turns up?”  
“About twenty minutes”  
“And can you unlock the cage without a key?”  
“Shouldn’t be a problem if you can give me two minutes.”  
“Okay, you and Mikey head for the cage, the rest of us make sure the Dragons keep their distance”.  
“With pleasure,” Raph smirked, and everybody got ready.  
Mikey and Donnie dashed towards the cage, using smoke bombs to give themselves a few seconds head start before the Purple Dragons could get a grip on what was going on. But before they could, Leo, Raph and Venus had formed a semi circle, not permitting anyone inside the perimeter.  
Donnie put all his focus on the lock while Mikey turned to the mutants trapped in the cage. If they had been scared before, they were now in full panic. The squirrel tried to claw his way out through the bars, the raven flapped his tattered wings and spread feathers all around him, but the girl with butterfly wings just tried to make herself as small as possible, crouching into a ball.  
“It’s okay, it’s okay! We’re trying to get you out.” Mikey said as he raised his arms, trying to look innocent. The girl risked a glance in his direction, revealing a couple of antennas and an eye that looked magnified.  
“That’s right, easy now. We want to help you” he continued and put on his cutest smile. Even the Raven calmed down a bit, now peering at him with an intense black stare as if to determine whether he was telling the truth. Mikey thought he looked older, with his back slightly bent and several scars on his beak.  
“Can you really get us out?” he asked, still suspicious. Butterfly girl hid behind his back, too afraid to speak, but hope had been lit in her insect-like features.  
“Any minute now, my brother Donnie is working on it.” He indicated at the turtle in purple who was crouching at the cage door, working furiously. Mikey looked over his shoulder and found that their defenses still stood, but the displeased thugs were gathering and testing his brothers and Venus for an opening. He turned back to the captives, Raven and Butterfly girl looking intensely at him, but Squirrel guy was still clawing the bars in panik.  
“Once he’s opened the lock you have to get out as quick as possible and the rest of us will cover your escape. Can you make sure he calms down and get ready?”  
Raven nodded gravely and turned to grab Squirrel guy by the shoulders while Butterfly girl tried to soothe him.  
Donnie shouted out in triumph: “Got it!” and the door swung open.  
Right at that moment he heard a roar from above. Mikey had just enough time to look up and see Rahzar and Fishface before some Footbots rained down to meddle into the fight. It appeared the Foot liked to show up early too.  
“That’s not good” he thought to himself before he shouted for the mutants to run and got out his Nun-Chucks to join the defense line.  
Unfortunately, there were too many enemies to hold the line. The turtles spread out and fought individual battles while trying to protect the fleeing captives from getting caught again. Mikey worked with Venus and chased after a couple of Footbots who went after Butterfly girl. She tried to break for it by using her wings, but because of their bad condition she crashed on the roof of a three-story building nearby. Her attackers saw their opportunity to chain her, but Mikey and Venus were tight on their heels.  
After taking down his own foe he watched as Venus used her slightly curved dagger to cut off the robots arm in one swift movement before she buried the other deep in the neck with a mighty force that sent sparks flying before it collapsed on the spot. She had improved so much over such a short time, and he felt very proud of her.  
Venus sheathed her daggers and held out her hand for the girl who had crouched back into a ball. Sensing that the danger was averted though, she dared to stretch out her own hand and let herself get pulled up into standing. Her wings stretched out, but they were still severely wrinkled. Her antennas were wilting and matched her shy demeanor.  
“Are you okay?” Venus asked kindly. Butterfly girl nodded in response.  
“Are you hurt?”  
“No”, she said in a voice so low Mikey almost couldn’t hear it. He stepped closer.  
“Do you have somewhere to go?” he asked. She nodded again.  
In the periferi, Mikey saw movement coming towards them. A gang of Purple Dragons came out a stairwell door, the biggest spotted them and cried out for the others to get them.  
“Watch out!” Mikey warned. Venus urged Butterfly girl to flee before she unsheathed her daggers again. Before they clashed into the fight the girl lay a hand on Venus’ shoulder and Mikey’s arm.  
“We will never forget this”, she said, before she ran and flapped her wings hard enough to get her to the next roof and then went out of sight. Mikey and Venus had the time to give each other a smile before they had to dodge the first attack.  
It was fairly easy to take down the first wave. Using their speed and acrobatic moves they whirled around the bandits, hitting them in the right places to knock them out. Mikey noticed Venus’ fighting style and thought her movements looked elegant, yet they were swift and precise with much force behind them. Everytime she dodged a blow she bent into impossible angels, showing off her extreme agility.  
Mikey finished his last Dragon and watched her land a kick that sent her last thug flying with a crash. Suddenly another Dragon with white-blonde hair came out the stairwell door, aiming for Venus’ back.  
“Behind you!” he cried out in warning. She caught in time and whirled around to block a metal bar from crushing her skull with her dagger.  
Then someone hit the pause button.  
Mikey watched as both Venus and the Purple Dragon went completely still, eyes big with surprise. Just when he was going to ask what this was all about the young guy made an evil smirk.  
“Well, well. Look who’s crawled out of the swamp”, he sneered. Mikey felt confused. Did he know her? Venus wasn’t breathing, but her eyes held fear and disbelief.  
“Zeth?” she stammered.  
“Zeth?!” Mikey echoed. The white-blonde guy laughed a malicious laugh and took a step back in order to take her all in.  
“So, the slimy freak has found its way to the big city, playing tough against the bad guys” he mocked her, shoving her hard on the shoulders which made her take a step back. Other than that, she seemed paralyzed, unable to make any response to his cruel behaviour.  
“Didn’t know a tree-loving toad like you could live somewhere like this, or have you finally realised how pathetic your lives were?” he continued, this time poking her hard with the end of his metal bar.  
“Hey! Cut it out!” Mikey called, moving closer to get in front of Venus. But before he could, he was surprised by a Footbot who sprang upon him with such force they both toppled over the edge and fell. Luckily, he managed to fight of the robot and use his kusarigama as a grappling hook before he hit the ground. He quickly got on his feet, looking for the fastest way back up to Venus. He saw her, still choked and taking verbal abusement from Zeth. He started to panic, not knowing what Zeth was capable of, but he was sure it wouldn’t be anything nice.  
Just as he was about to climb the building, three more Footbots attacked him. They almost got him because of his unawareness.

Venus struggled to make her lungs work. She forced the air into her chest, and forced it out again. In and out, it was all she could do not to fall over.  
“What’s the matter Venus? Don’t you like my new style?” Zeth asked her in a mocking tone, showing off his clothes with a dragon on the back of his vest. She also noticed the short cut on his sides and neck, and the newly tattooed knuckles. The face was the same, but the features were not. They were… more sinister, and vile.  
Sadness threatened to overwhelm her. He had been her childhood friend. She remembered the laughs and the games, the secrets and the sharing of treasures. The memories eventually mixed with the rows, the screaming and the fighting, the anger and the loneliness. The despair.  
No matter what he had done, she had forgiven him, because no matter how loving her father and aunt had been, Zeth had been her only other break from isolation.  
She had always nursed the hope that she could make him turn to the good again. That she was fighting a disease, and as long as she fought hard enough she would succeed. She had poured her heart and soul into it, and when it didn’t work, it had felt like it was her fault.  
It still did.  
Venus tried to blink the tears away that threatened to form. “What happened to you?” she asked in a low voice.  
“What happened to me?” he snickered, “I was finally set free from your weak influence when I came here. Here I could evolve into what I was always meant to be.”  
“I got stronger.”  
He shoved her backwards and made her stumble.  
“I learnt new skills.”  
He kicked her daggers out of her hands, which fell with a ring onto the roof.  
“And I got better than you ever were.”  
He hit her so hard she fell down, and there she remained, all numbed. Zeth spat at her, circling her hunched figure.  
“I always knew deep down that you were pathetic, acting like all life was bloody sacred. But here I’ve learnt the truth: the survival of the fittest. And trust me when I say that you aren’t one of them you green, distorted misfit.”  
He wasn’t touching her now, but every word was like a lash, making her wince.  
“And what’s most pitiful, you actually believed that I could have feelings for you. You, a deformed, three-fingered creature that belongs in a swamp. Just the thought makes me sick!”  
Venus started to tremble, both from the want to cry and anger at herself for being so stupid. Of course he was right, she was a freak.

Mikey fought furiously to get the Footbots off him. He retreated backwards, getting him further away from the building he so desperately needed to climb, but there was nothing he could do when they were three against one. Every time he managed to turn any of them into scrap metal, another showed up, continuing to force him backwards.  
It was a relief when Raph, Donnie and Leo suddenly came up at his sides, making quick work of the rest and any other assailants. Raph whirled his sais before he sheathed them into his belt.  
“There, the Footbots are down, Dragons have fled the scene and the mutants have escaped”, he stated, sounding very pleased after a good night’s work.  
“Are you okay Mikey?” Leo asked, sensing his distress, “where’s Venus?”  
Finally he caught his breath.  
“Leo! She’s on the roof, and Zeth is beating her down!” he yelled.  
“Zeth?” Raph asked in confusion.  
“He’s one of the Purple Dragons, look!” Mikey pointed towards the rooftop, where they could see a threatening young guy circling an unmoving Venus, only half sitting with her face towards the ground.  
They all sprinted for the indicated building, and Mikey prayed inwardly that they wouldn’t be too late.

She heard him chuckle, clearly enjoying himself. It was a while before he spoke again.  
“I guess I shouldn’t be too hard on you. The likes of you are probably not as smart as the rest of us. You’re rodent friend was living proof of that.”  
The last part sparked a different kind of anger within her. “Don’t you dare speak of Fizzy”, she hissed. It earned her a kick in the side.  
“Don’t you tell me what to do!” Zeth continued to circle her.  
“When that stupid creature came to your house she should have fled as any sensible being would have, but instead she attacked me! Someone as dumb as that deserves to get put down.”  
Venus felt the rage crash over her.  
“She deserved to live more than you’ve ever done!” she screamed, and for the first time since she was beaten down, she stared at him with blinded fury.  
“It was an act of kindness to put her out of her misery!” he yelled back, towering over her menacingly, but still her eyes were fixed on his. When she refused to back down he pulled a gun out of his waistline and pointed it straight at her forehead.  
“Perhaps it would be kinder to put you down too,” he threatened, and Venus felt her heart begin to race.  
“After all, you’re just like her, a worthless piece of…”  
Venus lunged forward so fast he didn’t have time to press the trigger. Suddenly she was on her feet, and they were both struggling for the gun, straining with every inch of their strength.  
“Let go, you despicable wretch!” he shouted.  
That’s when Venus shoved her elbow so hard on his nose she broke it. It made him let go of the gun and clench his face with both hands, giving her easy access to land three vicious punches in his gut. It made him bend forward in excruciating pain, and the ideal position for Venus to land a roundhouse kick on his jaw, sending him crashing down. When she pointed the gun at him he cradled into a fetal position, but raised his hands to beg for his life.

Mikey and his brothers had climbed the nearest building and had been running across the rooftops as fast as they could to get to them. From there they had been able to see all of it as they bolted forward. Mikey’s heart had nearly stopped when he recognized the shape of the firearm that had been aiming for Venus’ head. When they finally landed on the target roof, she had managed to overpower Zeth, but now she was the one pointing the gun at him.  
This time it felt like someone clenched an iron hand around his chest, making it hard to breath. None of his brothers dared to move a single muscle, or make any kind of sound that could startle her.  
“Please don’t do it” he whimpered inwardly.

Venus hardly noticed the pleading sounds he made at her feet. All she heard were the voices from that night, and it played back in her head, over and over again.

“Ouch! That bitch bit me!”  
“What did you expect? She’s a freaking mutant.”  
“Just wish I could break her teeth before I had to chain her.”  
“Don’t bother, it’s evident that she isn’t a pre-human.”  
“She’s not? Then she has no value.”

A loud shot, with a terrible ring that went on forever, and the silent screams…

“Venus?” came a soft voice behind her back. Some part of her mind recognized it as Leo, but her attention was still focused on the sniveling heap on the ground, and the weight of the gun in her hand.

“Then she has no value.”

“Venus, don’t do it.” He was closer now, but still a few feet away.

A terrible ring that went on forever…

She noticed her shallow breathing. “He shot her in cold blood” she said without emotion. The heap pleaded more earnestly.  
“I know”, Leo said. His voice was so gentle, so close he only had to whisper.

“Fizzy attacked them because she thought they had captured me, she only wanted to protect me.” she thought.

“He doesn’t deserve to live”, she said. Her hand started to tremble, and the villain started to cry, hiding his face.  
“Perhaps not, but we can’t be the judges of that.” He carefully laid a hand on her shoulder.

“Don’t do it. If you do, you’ll start on a path to become like him. And you are nothing like him,” Leo said. Very slowly he traced his hand along her arm, towards the gun.

Venus breathing increased, her heart hammered in her chest and the tears started to blur her vision.

“It won’t get her back” he whispered so close she could feel his hot breath on her cheek. She knew it was true. 

She shut her eyes and let go of the gun, allowing him to take it from her.  
As soon as she did, she collapsed, but Leo caught her and eased her down so he could cradle her in his arms as the flood was finally released. As the tension left her, the anger, the fear and the grief consumed her mind.  
“Leo… it f-feels like I’m f-falling” she sobbed uncontrollably into his chest.  
“I know...” he soothed as he leaned his head on hers and caressed her cheek.  
“But I’ve got you.”


	12. The Memorial

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Venus is a mess after the confrontation with Zeth. The turtles decide they have to do something for her, and plans something special with the help of April and Casey.

As soon as Leo took the gun out of her hand, the spell broke and the rest of them could move again. Raph surged forward to take care of the firearm before Leo had to catch Venus as she collapsed. Donnie and Mikey found rope to tie up a sobbing Zeth just to make sure he wouldn’t escape.   
They let Leo sit with Venus as it seemed pointless to try and make her do anything else, she was a complete mess. Raph had never seen her like this, and it hurt deep within. He couldn’t imagine what Zeth had said to make her react in this way.  
Donnie found out that Zeth was a wanted suspect in several crimes by the police, which made them decide to leave him outside a station to be found. Raph volunteered to take him there with Donnie. He couldn’t stand to see Venus in that state, he hated to feel so helpless. But taking care of Zeth was a mistake. It took all of his self control not beat the guy senseless even though he knew it would be a disgrace to lay hand on someone who was tied up. Luckily he had his sensible brother with him, who could see the warning signals.   
Donnie lay a heavy hand on his shoulder when he was a little too rough in tying him to a lamp-post outside the nearest police station.  
“Easy Raph”, he persuaded him.  
“He hurt her, Donnie, really bad,” he said in a broken voice.  
“I know, but it won’t help her.”  
“It would help me”, he bit off.  
The younger brother laid his arm across his broad shoulders and led him away, firmly at first, but then in a more comforting way.   
When they got back, Leo was still sitting with Venus, gently stroking her head. She wasn’t crying anymore, but she was staring out in the blue, unresponsive to anything they said. Mikey had called Mr Hayashi to inform him of what had happened, he was waiting for them to get back with Venus where he would take care of her as best he could.  
She wouldn’t walk, but they could make her hang on tight to Raph’s back who carried her most of the way as he was the strongest. Eventually they made it through her window, and she instantly crawled into bed and clenched her waiting father’s hand. A new set of silent tears began to fall as he whispered soothing words into her ear.

For the bigger part of the night, they discussed what to do. All four of them talked it out with Sensei in the dojo. Eventually a plan began to take form, and they called both April and Casey who volunteered immediately. Mr Hayashi gave his approval when they called him in the morning.

Before noon, Casey parked the Party Wagon outside their building. He and Raph, who was covered in a big trench coat, went up the stairwell to pick her up. When the pair got through the apartment door, they were met by Mr Hayashi who had big, swollen bags under his eyes.  
“How is she?” Raph asked.  
“She’s not saying much. Her sleep was uneasy, always muttering. She would wake up as soon as she lost my hand, so I sat with her through the night.” he explained. Raph’s heart ached for them.  
“I’m sorry…” he began.  
“You have nothing to be sorry about,” Mr Hayashi assured him, “that is the burden of being a father, which I carry most willingly. I am also very happy that she has you and your brothers who are doing all of this for her, even though none of it is your fault or your responsibility.” He laid both his hands on Raph’s shoulders, and gripped them just tight enough to get his meaning across. It was a good, comforting feeling.  
“What’s going on?” Venus appeared in the doorway. The tone was flat, and so were her movements when she approached them. Her eyes were somewhere between seeing them and staring right past them. Her father turned to her.  
“Venus, you are going to go on a trip for a few days. The turtles will take you there, the rest are waiting for you downstairs.”  
Her brows furrowed in confusion. “Where are we going?”  
He simply smiled at her and pulled her in for a warm embrace. “Trust your friends, and it will be alright.”  
It took a few seconds before she responded to the hug, but when she did, it was mutual in warmth. Her eyes closed peacefully, it looked like she could remain there.  
But soon Mr Hayashi broke away and patted her cheek softly before he turned her towards the door.  
“I’ll see you in a few days.”

In the Party Wagon she sat herself down next to Mikey. For the most part, all of them sat quietly as they rolled through the endless miles. Eventually Mikey tried to interest her in some comic books he had brought, but she merely shook her head. Instead of giving up, he began to read to her out loud. It wasn’t his most annoying voice, but he still stressed the humorous points in the stories, which made her mouth twitch in something that could be a smile. Raph took it as as good sign.  
After a couple of hours, Venus was leaning her head in a way that allowed the sun to hit her face. It looked like she enjoyed it. She reacted when the sun was mixed with shadow, and she actually got up to watch the giant trees that caused them.   
Her eyes widened a fraction at the sight, as if she marveled at what she saw.  
“Where are we?” she finally asked.  
Casey took his eyes of the road long enough to shoot her a glance.  
“We’re on our way to the O’Neil farm.”

For the rest of the way, Venus remained at the front in order to gaze at the vast forest and hills around them. Donnie smiled inwardly, they had hoped a change of environment would have a positive effect on her, and so far they had been right.  
When they arrived at the farm, April were ready to greet them. As soon as Venus stepped out of the Party Wagon, she gave her a long hug and exchanged a few words. The turtle in light blue was still solemn, but you could see she appreciated April being there.  
Mikey took the opportunity to tell her a little about the place and why they had lived there for a while. April saw her chance and slided over to Donnie.  
“Most of it is prepared, you’ll find all you need at the back”, she whispered.  
“Thanks, just give us ten minutes and we’ll be ready.”  
April nodded and went back to Venus.  
“So, what d’you think of our place?” she asked. Venus eyes swooped over the entire scene, mainly focusing on the majestic forest at the edge of the farm.  
“I think it’s marvelous”, she said in awe. April smiled.  
“Come on, we have time to explore a little.” She stuck her arm in her friend’s, and led her towards the trees, Venus followed willingly.  
Donnie had a good feeling when he saw them walk together, arm in arm. He just hoped that the rest of their plan would be as successful. He turned to his brothers.  
“Okay, let’s set everything up.” They headed towards the back of the house.  
Ten minutes later they were waiting for the girls under the big apple tree. Donnie was a little nervous and kept fiddling with his lantern. Raph’s twitching and Mikey’s pacing told him they felt the same. The only thing that gave Leo away was the tension around his eyes.  
Finally April and Venus became visible around the corner. They were talking low with their heads together as if in confidence. Their features told him the topic wasn’t common gossip, but at least Venus was talking. More good signs.  
When they got closer Venus noticed them and sensed they had something planned. She turned her attention at the guys, wondering what was going on. Mikey began to explain.  
“Hey Ve, we know it was hard for you last night, and… we thought that you haven’t had the chance to… mourn properly. We think you’ve held it in too long, and it’s eating you up from the inside.”  
He made a pause to scan for a reaction. Donnie thought she had stiffened a little, but not in a manner that she wanted to run away. She remained quiet, and April gave her arm a friendly squeeze. As he wasn’t interrupted, Mikey continued.  
“We’ve prepared a place for Fizzy, like her own memorial so she won’t be forgotten. And… we all have something to leave her.”  
Venus clasped her hands over her mouth and nose as she understood what it was all about. April gently led her forward so she could see the smooth stone at the roots of the tree.  
“This apple tree is always covered in flowers during summer, and at nights it gives off a wonderful smell. I wanted this to be her place, and I found a stone where I was able to chisel her name.”  
The fine-limbed turtle ran her fingers over the rough letters before she turned back to the red head. She wiped the corners of her eyes as she spoke; “Thank you”.  
Mikey went next, putting a small box in her hand.  
“I didn’t know Fizzy, but I bet anything she would’ve loved pizza. If I’d had the chance to meet her, I would have shared my pepperoni special. I thought we could bury the last slice here at her place.”  
Venus actually chuckled and gave him a hug.  
“From you, that’s the greatest present in the world.” Mikey smiled an embarrassed smile before Donnie came forward.  
“I wanted there to be some kind of candle lit, but nothing lasts long enough. That’s when I thought of a mechanical lantern with solar cells which will provide it with energy all year round and should last the greater part of an eternity.”  
Venus gasped when she took it. “It’s beautiful”, she said, the growing lump in her throat almost audible.  
Raph stepped forward, with a bunch of flowers in various bright colors.  
“I thought… I just… there should always be flowers”, he finished stiffly, handing them over. She carefully took them from his arms.  
“Yes, there should”, was all she managed.  
Last came Leo, who gave her pen and paper. She looked up at him with a confused expression.  
“So you can write. Tell her all the things you wanted her to know, but never had the chance to say. Then bury it to make sure it stays with her.”  
This time she was unable to respond. Before she broke down Mikey caught her in a hug, and the others went back to the house to give her some space. The turtle in orange sat with her under the tree for the entire day and night. Most of the time they seemed to sit in complete silence, but Donnie saw them talk a little as well. He guessed that Venus was telling him stories about Fizzy, and Mikey was the ideal listener.

They stayed at the farm for a few more days to let Venus enjoy the environment. Most of the time she went exploring in the forest, and all got to experience where she had gotten her stamina and agility from. It seemed she could run forever just to find out what was beyond the next hill, and when she climbed the trees she jumped between them like a squirrel, swinging in the branches and twisting in mid-air to land perfectly every time no matter how difficult a jump seemed to be.  
Eventually they had to head home. Mikey was getting restless, and rather risking Raph strangling him due to his pranks, they all agreed it was better to get the youngest brother back home to his video games.


	13. What’s hard to form in words

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mikey is worried about Venus, and asks Donnie for help to locate her. He and Leo head down the sewers and find her dancing. Does her dance convey a special meaning?

Leo sat in the kitchen flicking his T-phone. He had finished his late lunch long ago, but had nothing better to do. The randomly surfing was only a bad excuse to postpone the menial task of doing the dishes. His head was hanging heavy on one of his arms when Mikey came in, looking worried.  
“Hey Leo, seen Venus around lately?” he asked anxiously.  
“Not really, I saw her walk by about an hour ago. How come?”  
“I’m just worried. She’s not answering her phone.”  
“Maybe she just wants to be alone, you have to admit you’ve kind of been hovering over her for the past week”, Leo said in her defense. Mikey made a grimace.  
“Yeah well, perhaps I have… But I can’t help it”, he said apologetically.  
Leo didn’t think Venus would do anything reckless, but he couldn’t blame Mikey for being concerned. Ever since they’d gotten back from O'Neil's’ farm, she had been more reserved. She had taken up all of her routines like having tea with Leo in the mornings, training with Raph to build her strength and watching TV with them at nights, but the dark cloud that loomed over her could never be shaken entirely. She talked as usual, but the tone of her voice was more somber, and she didn’t laugh as much as she used to.  
Leo took pity on his brother and rose to quickly finish his dishes before he suggested they went to Donnie’s lab to see if he could give them her location. Mikey looked grateful at the idea and followed Leo in his tracks.  
In the lab, they found the smart one wearing his magnifying goggles as he studied one of his numerous trinkets, completely emerged in his his work.  
“Hi Don, you think you can help us out?” Leo greeted. The other lifted the goggles onto his head and revealed his reddish brown eyes as he blinked at them.  
“Sure, what d’you need?  
“Can you tell us Venus’ exact location?”  
Donnie turned to his monitors and shot a worried look. “Why? Something’s happened?”  
“No, just giving Mikey some peace of mind”, Leo answered soothingly, “he hasn’t seen her for an hour…”, he explained.  
Donnie visibly relaxed as Mikey leaned around Leo’s shell, trying to look cute.  
“In that case, I wouldn’t worry. She actually came in here to borrow the big speaker and dragged it off on a sack barrow before she went.”  
Mikey rose an eyebrow in confusion.  
“Why would she need the big speaker?”  
“My best guess, to listen to music…” Donnie smirked.  
“Yeah, but… doesn’t she have her earphones?” he countered.  
“She does, but.. I don’t know, I didn’t want to be too nosy. She just said she’d give it back in a couple of hours and I thought nothing special of it.”  
Leo could see that Mikey’s mind wouldn’t give it a rest, so he interjected.  
“We’ll go and check on her, but if she’s okay you have to promise to give her some space. Deal?” he looked questioningly at his youngest sibling, who smiled and nodded in assent.  
Donnie pressed a bunch of keys and sent Venus’ location to their T-phones.  
“She hasn’t gone that far, shouldn’t take you more than twenty minutes to get there.”  
“Thanks Donnie, see you later”, Leo said as he turned around with a cheerful Mikey at his heels, practically skipping out of the lab.  
While walking at a fast pace in the sewers, they pondered at what Venus was up to.  
“What d’you think she’s doing?” Mikey asked.  
“Honestly? I just think she’s listening to music as Donnie said.”  
“But why out here? Why not at the lair?” he persisted.  
“Maybe she really just wants to be alone sometimes. She’s had to deal with a lot lately and maybe this is a way of doing it.” Leo speculated.  
Mikey stiffened at his words.  
“D’you think she’ll be alright? Will she get over it and be the same again?”  
Leo didn’t answer immediately.  
“I don’t think you can ever ‘get over it’, but I’m confident she’ll learn how to handle it. Eventually I think she’ll feel like her old self again, only a little hardened, but it’ll be in a good way. She’s very strong you know”, he finished.  
“I know”, Mikey said with a comforted smile.  
Only a minute later Leo stopped him to sharpen his ears. “Listen”, he said. They did, and when their footsteps had stopped splashing they could hear music being played somewhere ahead.  
“She’s near!” Mikey burst out, and they headed for the sound in a trot.  
When they entered the vast space where the music came from, they saw a gigantic, empty basin in the middle of the room, where the speaker was positioned in one of the corners. The deep basin seemed to contain the music that streamed out of the big box, making the sound waves bounce between the walls and probably flooded the senses of anyone who was in it.  
Besides that, Mikey and Leo saw something they hadn’t expected.  
Venus was dancing.  
And it was mesmerizing.

♪ I'm jealous, I'm overzealous  
When I'm down, I get real down  
When I'm high, I don't come down  
I get angry, baby, believe me  
I could love you just like that  
And I could leave you just as fast ♪

Venus moved in perfect beat, her style an amazing mix between ballet, jazz and modern. She easily switched from fluent grace to sharp edges, from slow to explosive, from stoic to expressive, but always in full control of every fabric of her body. 

♪ But you don't judge me  
'Cause if you did, then, I would judge you too  
No, you don't judge me  
'Cause if you did, then, I would judge you too ♪

Perfect pirouettes were followed by expressive hands that enhanced the lyrics. Her head rolled backwards with her eyes closed, arms stretched out. Her body went from crouching in containment to stretching out in liberation.

♪ 'Cause I got issues  
But you got 'em too  
So give 'em all to me  
And I'll give mine to you ♪

Leo was too stunned to move as he gaped at the scene below him. It was beautiful to behold, there was no other way of describing it. Next to him, Mikey was just as still.  
Venus wasn’t aware of them watching her, as the music probably filled her ears and vibrated through her entire body. She was completely emerged in the song.

Venus let the music claim her mind, taking control of her limbs as the sound waves crashed through her, consuming all that was. She let her body express all that’s hard to form in words.  
Her thoughts were filled with gratitude towards the turtles. She didn’t know what she’d be like if she hadn’t found them. All four had taken her in, accepted her with all of her flaws without question, and endured her moods without demanding any explanations, even though they had only known each other for a short time.

♪ Bask in the glory  
Of all our problems  
'Cause we got the kind of love  
It takes to solve 'em ♪

And beyond that, they had made an effort to heal her scars. Without being asked to, and without wanting anything in return.

♪ Yeah, I got issues  
And one of them is how bad I need you ♪

Her thoughts continued to drift. They landed in the memory of an embrace, strong and protective.

♪ Do shit on purpose  
Get mad and I break things  
Feel bad, try to fix things  
But you're perfect  
Poorly wired circuit  
And got hands like an ocean  
Push you out, pull you back in ♪

Arms that shielded her from all the bad. Like nothing could penetrate their defenses and touch her.  
She was listened to, and understood. Even in the things she’d never expressed.

♪ 'Cause you don't judge me  
'Cause if you did, then, I would judge you too  
No, you don't judge me  
'Cause you see it from the same point of view ♪

A special connection.

♪ 'Cause I got issues  
You got some too  
So give 'em all to me  
And I'll give mine to you  
Bask in the glory  
Of all our problems  
'Cause we got the kind of love  
It takes to solve 'em ♪

A power that calmed her. When her eyes found deep blue...

♪ Yeah, I got issues  
And one of them is how bad I need you ♪

Venus froze when she detected two silhouettes watching her. It was Mikey and Leo. In panic she shredded her vision to pieces before it had taken proper form, and burned it until only ashes remained for good measure.  
She paused the music and found it hard to face them as her cheeks were burning. She had never let anyone see her dance before in fear of what anyone might think. When she finally picked up the courage to look at them, she saw both gaping down at her, but Mikey mixed his expression with a wide smile.  
“Sorry… we didn’t mean to...”, Leo began, but had to cough to clear his voice, “we just wanted to…” Here he was effectively cut off by an exuberant Mikey who jumped down and came at her with open arms.  
“Wow Ve! That was AMAZING! Where have you learnt to do THAT?!” He crashed into her with a hug, and Venus couldn’t help the laugh escaping her as she felt relief and happiness over the unexpected and earnest praise. Still, it made her cheeks blush even more violently.  
“Oh… I’ve always… but I’ve never showed it… to anyone”, she mumbled.  
“Well you should! I’ve never seen anything like it!” Mikey’s smile was so wide it threatened to split his face. He turned to Leo who’d just come down into the basin. “Don’t you agree, Leo?”  
“Yeah..” was the meek response. Mikey turned back to Venus.  
“How d’you come up with all that?”  
She wasn’t sure how to respond.  
“Uhm, usually I just pick a song on repeat that matches my mood. Then I dance on instinct I guess, and try to express… what the heart can’t… say out loud”, she finished. She felt very shy and exposed, not meeting the eyes of any of them.  
“I just want you all to know, the four of you… it means a lot…” she couldn’t continue.  
Mikey just pulled her in for another hug and held her tight for a long time.  
“It’s okay, we get it”, he said, and Venus felt another surge of gratitude as she returned his kind smile.  
When they let go she glanced at Leo who stood a few feet away, looking awkward and scratching the back of his head.  
“Well, ehm… do you want to head back with us or… should we…?” he asked uncertainly.  
“Yeah, sure. I think I’m done for today.” She began to unplug the speaker, and Mikey helped her get it up from the basin onto the sack barrow.  
On their way back they were mostly quiet, but Venus felt it was a good quiet.

Leo was lost in deep thoughts on the walk back to the lair. He was in the rear, watching Venus and Mikey as they helped each other to roll the heavy speaker through the tunnels.  
Of course the dancing had been about her gratitude towards all of them, that was only logical. But his head kept playing it over and over, the grace in her movements, every motion loaded with emotion. And along the playback lingered the feeling, hope, that the word ‘you’ had been used in its singular form.  
He knew it was a foolish thought.  
Stupid.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The lyrics are taken from Julia Michaels "Issues". I've edited some words to fit my story better.  
> It's a great song, by the way. If you haven't heard it, I recommend you to take your time to do it :)


	14. The Mirror's reflection

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After a training session it becomes clear to Leo that Zeth still has a strong influence on Venus. After some arguing he manages to break that image, which is a great relief to her.  
> The effect is immediate, and in the delirium of her good mood, Mikey becomes suspicious about Leo's feelings towards her as they seem to have gotten really close.

Leo was sparring with Venus that morning after their ritual tea. They were working at an intense pace, and both of them were concentrating hard. Venus had kept improving, which forced Leo to stay alert every time they trained now. He wasn’t the only one making the attacks anymore, he had to do some of the defending too.  
He had won all of the rounds, but Venus knew she had him since he was beginning to lag behind in his movements for every second. He was tired, and she used that to her advantage, not giving him any chance to rest as she intensified her advances even further.  
Finally Leo made the mistake she had been waiting for. He blocked her left dagger to the side which gave her an opening. Venus striked with her right dagger against his head and stopped the blade just an inch from his neck.  
“Very good”, he said, trying not to feel annoyed with himself. “You’re a fast learner, you should be proud of yourself”.  
“Thanks”, she replied, wearing a most satisfied smile as she sat down to rest. That’s when Leo noticed her braid as it fell forward over her shoulder.  
“You’re braid’s untangled”, he commented and sat down too to catch up on his own breath.  
“Huh? Oh…” She felt it with her fingers and found a knot that had tangled quite a bit above her shoulder. She started to unbraid the long ends of her mask with rapid fingers, but struggled with the tight mess as it was too far up for her to see it properly and only had her fingers to guide her.  
“D’you want to borrow a mirror?” he asked helpfully.  
“No thanks, I don’t use mirrors”, she said without breaking concentration.  
“Why?”  
“Cause I don’t like the reflection”, was the simple response. Leo gave a start, and she noticed his reaction.  
“It’s become a habit. Ever since Zeth started calling me names I began to avoid all kinds of mirrors. I didn’t want to look at what he saw, the freak, the green monster, a slimy toad. I found ways to manage without them, I don’t think I’ve used a mirror for at least six years”, she finished.  
Something clawed in Leo’s chest. He didn’t know which was worse, the reason why she couldn’t bear to look at herself or the matter-of-fact tone she was using while she told him. Right then Venus managed to loosen the knot and re-braided it just as quickly.  
“I’m sorry…” he faltered.  
She tied off the ends and flicked it over her shoulder as she gave them a shrug.  
“What for? He was right.”  
For a second, Leo’s blood turned to ice.  
“What d’you mean?”  
She met his eyes with an impatient expression.  
“This isn’t something that will go away, or something I can hide.” She held up her green, three-fingered hands, to prove her point. “I’m a freak, and I always will be. You at least should know what I’m talking about.”  
“What!?!?” he burst out in disbelief.  
Venus sensed his anger, and recoiled a little in surprise.  
“D’you think I’m a monster?” he spat.  
“Of course not…”  
“But you think I look like one? he pressed.  
“No, I just…”  
“Then WHAT!?!”  
Leo hadn’t noticed that he’d risen his voice, or that he had come to his feet. Venus was actually leaning backwards even though they were several feet apart. His eyes must have shot lightening, because hers were wide open in shock. Soon though they shot lightning bolts back at him.  
“I thought that after all these years I’d finally found others who know what it’s like. The longing to be normal, the desperate wish to be like anybody else!”  
“Well then, I guess you were wrong..” he said in a low voice.  
“So you mean that you’ve never looked at yourself in the mirror and wished you were a human?” she pushed back.  
“Of course it’s crossed my mind more than once, but I’ve come far enough to know that appearance isn’t all.”  
“You can’t deny its importance.”  
“You give it to much weight.”  
“But…”  
He cut her off in a brutal manner:  
“You said yourself that you don’t think I’m a monster, or even look like one. Why is that?”  
She hesitated.  
“... Well…,cause you don’t act like one.”  
“Exactly!” he exclaimed, “That’s the point! It is our actions that really tell us who we are, it’s not our looks that define us. You can’t let your sight halt and linger at the first impression, you need to learn how to see beyond that. When you do, then you can see what I see.”  
He felt like he’d been running a marathon by the time he uttered the last words. They were still glaring at each other, but at least she didn’t contradict him. He was the first to break the staring contest and turned his back on her, crossing his arms. His anger was subsiding, but it hadn’t gone away yet. He drew deep breaths to calm down.  
“Then what do you see?” she asked behind him. He turned half-way around.  
“What?” he gruffed.  
Venus stuck her chin up and repeated her question.  
“What do you see when you look at me?” she asked in an acid voice, as if she challenged him to prove the validation of his little speech.  
That was it, his patience was out.  
“You want to know what I see? I’ll show you!”  
He went forward and grabbed one of her wrists. He barely slowed down for her to rise and follow him, seemingly shocked for the second time this morning.  
Leo dragged her to a spot in the dojo close to Sensei’s doors.  
“Stay here” he commanded before he went in. He knew Sensei was out, that’s why he didn’t bother to knock before he briefly went in and brought out a full length mirror which he placed six feet away from her.  
As soon as he did, Venus grew visibly uncomfortable. She refused to look straight at her own reflection, and her entire posture slumped as if ashamed of herself. When she made a move as if to go away, Leo hurriedly caught her by the shoulders and made her stay.  
“Wait” he urged, and she magically stopped.  
“I’m asking you to trust me now.”  
She peered at him with her intense grey eyes. They revealed discomfort and sadness, but she was listening.  
“We’re gonna do an exercise. I want you to close your eyes and do your breathings to get into a meditative state.”  
She only raised an eyebrow at him. He sighed.  
“Please?”  
She relented, and closed her eyes. Her breathing eased, and he let go of her shoulders.  
“I want you to imagine that you’re standing in the forest where you used to live. You feel the difference in temperature as you walk between the warming sun and the cooling shadows of the trees. You recognise all the smells, and the familiar sounds.  
On your way, you find a mother rabbit with several young ones…”  
Venus opened her eyes in irritation and glared at him.  
“Does this even have a point?” she asked in a sour voice.  
“Patience” was all he replied. She glared some more before she gave up and closed her eyes again. Leo slowly walked around her as he continued the chanting.  
“You stop and observe the little family. They are unaware of you, and you stay that way so you won’t scare them. Suddenly you hear a noise getting closer. It’s Zeth. He’s approaching, and you know he’ll try to harm them if he gets too close.  
The environment shifts, and you’re standing in the dark streets of New York. Behind you are a couple of young girls, who are strangers to you. You can see that they are scared, so you turn around to see what scares them. It’s four bandits, coming at them with malicious smiles.  
The scene shifts again. This time you see your father on the ground, and he’s hurt. When you go to his side you notice a group of armed Kraang coming towards you. As you get up, a group of Footbots join them, followed by Tigerclaw. Your father urges you to flee and save yourself, as he can’t run away.”  
Leo placed himself right behind her and grabbed her by the shoulders again.  
“Now, when I ask you to, you will open your eyes, but I want you to maintain the feeling and the posture that you have right now. Do you understand?”  
She gave a slight nod.  
“Then open and see.”  
She did, and she saw.  
Her posture was erect, with her arms at her sides. The hands were clenched into fists, and her feet was at a ready stance, slightly apart with one foot slightly in front of the other. Her back was straight with her shoulders back, and her chin was somewhat lifted. But what spoke volumes were her eyes; a determined stare that wouldn’t back down.  
Leo whispered in her ear.  
“This is what I see. No matter what enemy I presented, you didn’t flinch. No matter who needed your help, you didn’t hesitate. I see strength, honour, bravery, loyalty, compassion, determination and standing up for what is right, without a second thought about the consequences for your own part. Can you see it too?”  
Tears had begun to form in Venus’ eyes, but again she gave a slight nod.  
“Then stay here and imprint this image, until you’re sure you’ll never forget it.”  
He let go of her shoulders and slowly walked out of the dojo, leaving her there.

It was late afternoon. Leo was in his room feeling bored. He’d been hiding in there for some time now, since he hadn’t had the energy to neither stop his brothers bickering nor listening to it.  
When someone tapped softly on his door he gave a deep sigh as he was sure it was Donnie, coming to complain about Raph and Mikey. To his great surprise, it was none of them, it was Venus.  
“Hi…” she said, letting her hand slowly fall to her side again.  
“Hi”  
There was an uncomfortable pause as she didn’t say anymore. Leo thought she looked spent, with her eyes seemingly fixed at something far away that he couldn’t perceive. Just before he was about to say something she spoke.  
“I was on my way home, I just thought I should come by… to say thank you, for everything.” Tears threatened to fall on the brim of her eyes.  
Embarrassment welled up inside him.  
“I didn’t give you anything you didn’t already have...”, he tried with a weak smile before she cut him off, whipping her head upwards to meet his deep blue.  
“You gave me a new self-image,” she emphasized,  
“...and you made me believe it…” the last word came out as a whisper when her voice failed. She took a step back and put her hands to her mouth to steady herself before she tried to go on. Leo instinctively reached out with a hand, he wanted to take all her pain away.  
Venus resumed, “I’ve never… you’ve no idea what this means to me… what you mean…”.  
Her voice failed her again, instead she flung herself into his arms. It wasn’t anything he’d been prepared for, but he quickly laid them around her and just held her tight as her tears fell silently onto his plastron. He had no idea how long they stayed that way, but in that embrace he tried to convey warmth, comfort, and all that he felt for her, even though he wasn’t sure what it was.  
Just as suddenly she released him. She dried the corners of her eyes with the back of her hands, while a faint smile appeared.  
“I should go”, she said, and so she did.  
Leo remained in his door frame, watching her back. When she had been out of sight for the past five minutes he went back into his room and crashed on his bed. He lay there with an arm behind his neck and the other across his head, staring up at the ceiling. A storm of emotions raged inside him, and they were impossible to sort out, or determine. 

The next morning, Mikey woke up with a start. It was hard not to when you had someone jumping in your bed when you’re still under the covers.  
“Come on Mikey, get up! I’ve been waiting forever for you to show any sign of consciousness! I even considered waving a slice of pizza under your nose.”  
Mikey sat up in confusion, his head still groggy from sleep. He tried to rub some of it away as he struggled to focus on the figure in light blue, squatting at the end of his bed.  
“Ve? What are you doing here? What time is it?” he asked with raspy voice.  
“Time for action, I’m bored!” she replied with a vibrant smile. She got up, then paused a second as she shot him a sideways look.  
“Perhaps breakfast first, but then we should definitely do something! How about we borrow Donnie’s speaker and head for the basin so you can teach me some break dance? Oh! Then I can teach you some ballet!” She laughed her head off at the idea, and it was very infectious, even at this early hour.  
“Fine, just give me a minute” he pleaded. And it was all she would give him, ‘cause she couldn’t stop bouncing around.  
On their way to the kitchen they bumped into Leo on his way out. Neither Mikey or Venus had noticed him since they had been chatting idly with each other. When she finally saw him she stopped in her tracks.  
“Oh, hi”, she greeted.  
“Hi”, his oldest brother replied.  
They were frozen for a couple of seconds, but then Venus shot another of her vibrant smiles and gave him a brief, spontaneous hug before she passed him into the kitchen and called back at Mikey.  
“I feel like pancakes, how about you?”  
Mikey came up to Leo, a little bewildered.  
“She seems to be in very good mood today.”  
“Yeah…” the blue-clad turtle answered evasively.  
“Any idea why?”  
He shrugged his shoulders and gave a cryptical smile.  
“Good training session yesterday.”  
Mikey decided to give it a rest and followed her.  
The mood lasted for the rest of the day. After breakfast they went to the basin and taught each other their best moves. There he found out exactly how hard it was to make a perfect pirouette on tippy toes. Lunch was followed by training in the dojo with Sensei, and then there was some serious video gaming where new records were set on both parts.  
Venus stayed late to watch a movie and play some board games with him and the guys. They had the best time in months together, talking and laughing. She bantered a lot with Raph, but it was obvious he enjoyed it. Donnie was put to the test as Venus proved to be a worthy opponent in their most strategic game, only winning on a narrow escape. She and Leo got into a play-fight over the last chocolate bar where she actually crawled over his shell to get to it. Leo was roaring with laughter but eventually had to yield as she managed to pin him down on the floor with a knee and got hold of his wrist with both her hands. In the commotion they had managed to spill the popcorn and Raph’s soda, which made him a bit grumpy.  
“I’m sorry Raph”, she said earnestly, but still chuckling. “Here, you can have mine. I’ll go and make some more popcorn”, she offered.  
“And I’ll get the rag to clean up the mess”, Leo said.  
As they went, Donnie and Raph tried to agree upon a movie to watch. It dawned on Mikey that Ice Cream Kitty probably wanted to see the movie too, so he got up to fetch her. Just outside the kitchen he observed Venus spreading salt on the hot popcorns, and Leo who had found a rag, let the water run until it was warm enough for him to soak it. She had her back to him, and Leo was watching her intently.  
“Humor, kindness, spirit…” he said in a low voice, but apparently high enough for her to hear as a smile spread across her face.  
Mikey didn’t have the slightest idea what that was about, and he didn’t have time to ask either as they noticed him coming in. Venus grabbed the bowl and went out to the others and Leo turned to the sink, since the water was warm enough.  
They watched the movie, but before it finished both Donnie and Raph called it a night as it wasn’t the best thing ever. When the credits finally rolled across the screen Venus got up and stretched her arms.  
“I should go home, it’s late”, she stated. She went over to Mikey and Ice Cream Kitty to scratch the later behind her ear.  
“See ya tomorrow, Mikey”  
“Will do”  
She crawled over the couch and laid a hand on Leo’s shoulder on her way out.  
“See ya, Leo” she said softly.  
“Yeah, see ya”, he replied.  
Mikey watched Leo closely as he watched Venus go. His gaze lingered long after she had disappeared.  
“You like her, don’t you?” he asked teasingly.  
“What?” Leo jerked at the question.  
“You like her. I mean reeally like her”, he went on, batting his eyelashes at his older brother.  
“I don’t know what you’re talking about”, Leo said evasively as he got up and started cleaning up the worst mess around the floor.  
“Come on, just admit it,” Mikey pressed on, “I saw you looking at her, and it’s obvious that something’s on.”  
“You’re wrong, Mikey” he said in a dangerous voice.  
“Are you sure? Cause I...”  
“I said you’re WRONG!” he shouted back at him. Mikey jumped back in surprise and stared at him. Leo had narrowed his eyes, but he quickly smoothed them out and looked a little ashamed. He took a deep breath.  
“I’m sorry Mikey, I didn’t mean to shout at you. It’s just that, you’re mistaken and I don’t think it’s funny.”  
“Sorry bro, you just had a special look”, he apologized.  
“Well, I guess I’ve been worried like you, and I’m glad she seems to feel better. I care for her, I really do, but it’s not like that. We could never be a thing, so please… don’t bring it up again”, he finished miserably. He turned his back at him and continued to pick up the trash.  
“Okay, promise”, Mikey said, feeling abashed.

Venus silently backed further into the shadows and tip toed out of the lair without getting noticed. She had gone back to get her T-phone which she had forgotten in the kitchen. On her second way out she had overheard their conversation.  
‘It’s a good thing to hear it.’ she thought convincingly to herself. ‘It’s not as if it’s changing anything really. I know he cares for me, he said it and I know he does.  
And that is enough. More than so. I’m really happy the way things are with four close friends, why risk ruining it? I’m not even sure it was heading in that direction anyway. It’s a relief to be able to shut it down before it’s taken any form, especially since I wouldn’t cope with another rejection.  
Yeah, it’s a good thing.’  
And she considered it to be true.


	15. Mistakes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Venus makes a grave mistake when on patrol with Raph and Donnie. Explanations are expected in the dojo.

Donnie was walking in the sewers towards the lair. In front of him was Venus, but it was Raph who was in the lead, and he was fuming.   
The pace was rapid, and every now and then Raph slammed a fist against the wall or kicked at rubble on the ground if there was any. Both Venus and Donnie matched his speed, but Donnie deliberately made sure there was a considerable distance between him and the others. He was well aware of his brother’s temper, and this certainly wasn’t at its best…  
“Raph…” Venus tried for the third time, but he wouldn’t hear any of it.  
“Shut it!”  
“Raph, I’m sorry”  
“Yeah right” he snapped back.  
Donnie saw the entrance to the lair and thought to himself that this wouldn’t be pretty, but he couldn’t see any way of escaping it. Raph stormed in and made both Leo and Mikey jump who sat in the living area.  
“Back so soon from patrol?” Mikey asked, but Donnie gestured wildly that now was definitely not a good time.  
“Will you at least look at me?” Venus shouted at Raph’s back. “I know I made a mistake, and I’ve said I’m sorry”.  
“And you think that a lame apology will make everything alright?” he retorted, finally facing her in all his anger. Even though it wasn’t directed at him, Donnie couldn’t help but recoil a little. Venus, on the other hand, straightened to gain every inch she possessed against the bigger turtle and responded in equal anger.   
“Don’t act like you’re all innocent. It was you who started it”, she hissed at him. Raph took a step closer.  
“Well, at least I know when petty arguments should be laid to the side.” His voice was dangerously low. Leo and Mikey had risen from the couch, but none of them uttered a word.   
“Enough!” came another voice from the dojo, and all of their faces shot in that direction except for Venus and Raph, who still glared at each other. It was Sensei.   
‘Here it comes…’ Donnie thought, it was definitely not gonna be pretty.  
Sensei walked towards the combatants.  
“Explain”, he demanded in a stern voice.  
“Raph thinks he’s entitled to disparage my progress in training and himself to be near invincible”, Venus said, not breaking eye contact with the turtle in red.  
“Venus thirst to prove herself almost had me killed”, he spat back. Donnie saw in the peripheri how both Leo and Mikey stiffened.  
“Donatello?” Sensei lashed, which made him jerk. His master’s glare told him he wanted an objective report, and dared him to leave out any important details.  
“Uhm… we were on patrol and all was quiet. Venus and Raph seemed bored and started to banter a bit, but it turned sour. Raph boasted about how he was superior in skill and strength, and there was something about stamina only being good for fleeing… Venus didn’t take it very well.  
That’s when we saw Footbots coming at us. We were fighting our own battles and I got the feeling that Raph and Venus were competing at how many robots they could take out. Raph was in a clear lead and made a remark about it when a second wave of enemies came at us. It quickly turned more complicated as Raph ended up being attacked by three Footbots at once.  
I’m… quite sure that Venus saw him being outnumbered, but… chose to take on another foe of her own instead of… helping him. I was lucky to reach him in time to block a deadly blow from a fourth Footbot. After that Venus joined too and we managed to finish the rest of them. After that Raph stormed home to the lair.”  
When Donnie was done with his report the silence grew very uncomfortable. Venus had lowered her eyes and her cheeks were glowing with shame. Sensei was not pleased.  
“Dojo, both of you, now.” Contradictions would not be tolerated.   
Venus and Raph trotted after him, and Donnie could see them both kneel before Sensei shut the doors, but they couldn’t keep the voices out.  
Sensei’s words came out clear.  
“Is it true Venus, that you saw Raphael being in distress?”  
“I… yes” was the meek reply.  
“And is it also true that you chose to ignore it in favour of your own chances in your little contest?”  
Several seconds passed.  
“...yes”  
“What do you have to say in your defense?”  
“Sensei, I knew that I’d made a grave mistake the second I saw the fourth Footbot come at him, but then I was too late. I was just so angry after he’d said all those things…”  
“I get angry too, but I’ve never, EVER let that risk any of my brothers’ lives.”  
“Calm down, Raphael”, Sensei said. It was audible as Raph took several deep breaths. Sensei Splinter continued.  
“You must know that the key to the many successes that my sons have had is that they always have each others’ backs. They are a unity, a team that relies on absolute loyalty. If you wish to be a part of that, it has to be your instinct as well, without a second’s hesitation. Without trust, there is nothing. Do you understand?”  
“Hai, Sensei.” Venus voice was very somber.  
“You are to stay here and meditate over your errors, and make it a long meditation”, he emphasized, irritation still detectable.  
“Hai, Sensei”, she repeated.  
“And you Raphael, should take some time to meditate on your humility. You may do so in your own room.”  
“Hai, Sensei”, Raph grumbled and instantly rose and went straight out of the dojo and into his room, slamming the door loudly behind him.  
Donnie looked at his brothers, they had heard all of it too. Both Leo and Mikey looked as sad as he felt.   
A couple of hours later, he and Leo quietly peeked through the door into the dojo. Venus was still kneeling on the mat, with her back to them.  
“Hey, are you okay?” he asked softly. Donnie saw her quickly wipe her eyes before they came in and sat down opposite to her.  
“I’ve been better”, she croaked. “Why are you even here? Don’t you hate me for what I’ve done?”  
Donnie and Leo gave each other a look before he spoke again.  
“We’re not saying your mistake wasn’t serious… but everybody deserves another chance.”  
“Besides, you’re not the only one who’s made terrible choices before”, Leo filled in.  
New tears threatened to form, and she furiously rubbed her eyes.  
“God, it feels like all I ever do is crying. I hate being weak!”  
“Tears seldom have anything to do with weakness, more often it’s a sign of a will to change. I would’ve been more concerned if you hadn’t.” Leo said.  
Venus drew a deep breath and raised her head so she could stare at the faint moonlight coming in through the roof and hitting the big tree.  
“I’ve really messed up. I need to regain his trust, but no matter how I rack my brain I can’t come up with a way to do it.”  
Leo leaned forward to press his hand around her wrist.  
“Give him a few days, and when the time is right, you’ll know what to do”, he said confidently. She lowered her head and gave him a grateful look, and as soon as her grey eyes came in level with Leo’s, he let go of her hand. Donnie rose, and his oldest brother followed his example.   
“If you need anything, just ask”, he said before they left.


	16. Trapped

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Venus does what she can to regain Raph's trust. In the meanwhile the gang get a lead that the Foot Clan is up to something. They head out to check it, but Leo suspects something's wrong. Is he too late?

All of the turtles were training in the dojo. It was a special session, since Sensei wanted them to practise on their hand fighting skills. He wanted them all to spar against each other, since every opponent presented different challenges. Leo had most skill, Raph the strength, Venus the speed, Mikey was unpredictable and Donnie the most calculating.  
Sensei had them paired up differently in every round, making one of them rest in each turn. In the last round it was Donnie’s turn to kneel on the mat while Leo sparred against Mikey and Venus faced Raph. He watched the later duo and wondered idly how it would go. Both of their faces were concentrated, but revealed little else.   
In the last days they hadn’t spoken at all, although Donnie had seen Venus make some failed attempts which Raph had pointedly ignored, leaving the room when she tried to engage him.  
This was the first time Raph actually had to acknowledge her, and as they continued to wait for the other’s first move, Donnie saw the hint of a frown in his forehead combined with his mouth in a flat line. That did not bode well for the smaller turtle, and he hoped her shell was as hard as theirs…  
Venus moved against him, aiming a strike at his torso which he blocked. He responded with a grasp which she had to use all of her force to break free from and retreated a couple of steps to regain a proper stance. This time it was Raph who made the first move. He charged at her with a series of punches which she had no trouble blocking, but the brutal force of them had her backing up further. She bought herself a few seconds when she swooped down in an attempt to trip him with a swipe of her extended leg. Seeming to think that using her legs was a good idea, she quickly got up to hit him in the side with her knees, but that was a mistake. In doing so Raph had her within his reach and simply grabbed her around the waist and threw her down on the floor, hard. It made Donnie flinch.  
For a second she lost her breath, but she turned around on all four and rose. After she had filled her lungs deep with air a couple of times she resumed her fighting stance, indicating that she was ready for a second round.  
Donnie wanted to look away, but couldn’t. Raph didn’t cut her any slack as he threw her to the floor again and again. Sometimes the round lasted longer, other times only a manner of seconds. He could see Venus wincing in pain and glanced towards Master Splinter. Usually he would have stopped Raph for going at it too hard, but every time he waited to see if Venus would get up. When she did he simply used his long fingers to stroke his beard, wearing a thoughtful expression.  
His last throw was the hardest yet, taking Venus longer than before until she came to her feet. She was panting heavily, and probably not only from exhaustion. Donnie made a silent sigh, because even though her body language showed signs of weary, her eyes lacked none of the determination.   
Once again she resumed her fighting stance, but this time Raph didn’t copy her. He stood still with his arms hanging at his sides, watching her with his face composed.  
“Come on, I’m ready”, Venus urged, but Raph shook his head.  
“No, we’re done training.” And with that, he left the dojo.  
Donnie quickly got up and followed him. Before he too had gone out through the doors he saw the fine-limbed turtle slump her shoulders and raise her gaze towards the ceiling radiating powerlessness.  
He went after his brother in the living area.  
“Raph, wait up!” he called.  
Raph stopped, but didn’t fully turn around. Donnie came up to him and laid a hand on his shoulder.  
“She’s really trying, you know”, he said.  
“I know that”, was the curt response. That’s when he realised that Raph had been impressed by the stubbornness. It was well-known that the hot head admired determination and the ability to push through pain.  
“Then why won’t you give her a break?”  
“I want to, Don, it’s just… will she be there when it really counts?” The question hung heavily in the air, and Donnie couldn’t come up with any satisfying response.   
Just as he was gonna give it a go, Raph’s T-phone rang. He picked it up to answer.  
“Casey, what’s up?” There were sounds of indistinguible mumbling at the other end.   
“Okay, we’ll meet you there in ten.” Raph turned to Donnie. “Casey and April think something’s on at Shredder’s lair. We better head over.”  
They went back into the dojo and informed the others. For the past few nights, more Footbots had been active in the city, and the turtles suspected they were planning something. Leo had commanded them to spy on the Foot Clan’s headquarters to see if they could get any leads. April and Casey had volunteered to help to share the burden of being on guard.  
In minutes they had all jumped into the Shell Raiser and Leo drove it to a nearby street still out of sight. Casey and April waited for them and jumped inside to give their report.  
“So what’s going on?” Leo asked them.  
“There’s a lot of movement and multiple white vans in which they’re loading Footbots. We’ve seen Tigerclaw, Fishface and Rahzar get into the vans too”, Casey explained.  
“It looked like they were about to head out, you’re just in time for us to follow them”, April filled in.  
“Okay, but we need to be careful”, Leo said and turned to his lean brother, “Don, can you track them at a distance?”  
“If I can plant one of my tracking devices onto one of the vans it’ll be a piece of cake.”  
“Okay, take Mikey with you. Stay in stealth mode”, he cautioned them.  
It was an easy task as all he had to do was head on to the nearest roof and hand Mikey the tracking device and a slingshot. The youngest turtle hit his mark on the first attempt and they could go straight back to the Shell Raiser. From there Donnie activated the tracker, giving their enemies a few minutes head start before Leo fired up the engine.   
For the next twenty minutes, all they did was following the red blinking dot on his screen. When it stopped moving, Leo lowered the speed and crept along the murky streets until one of the white vehicles came into sight. The Shell Raiser was parked and all of them got out in order to get closer without being seen.   
Donnie saw the Footbots getting unloaded and disappearing into what looked like an old factory, closed down for several years. Once the last robot had gone inside, the door was shut, and all was quiet. Nothing could be seen through the few windows in the building, but he couldn’t determine if it was because of the lack of movement inside or the fact that they simply weren’t see-through due to the darkness and years of smudge on the glass.  
“What are they doing in there?” Venus whispered behind him.  
“I don’t have the slightest idea.”  
“Probably growing an army of poisonous, gigantic slugs to invade the city like they did in Alien invasion IV!!!” Mikey said, rising in pitch as he continued while biting his nails in panic. Raph hit him hard in the back of his head.  
“Snap out of it”, he growled. Leo rose from his crouching next to him.  
“We need to get inside and have a better look, but we need another way in”, he said.  
Donnie scanned the building and noticed one of the windows on the third level which had a hole in it.   
“How about there?” Leo followed his pointing arm.  
“It’s worth a try, come on!”  
Raph used his grappling hook to shoot a rope across the alley next to the broken window, allowing him to slide along it. They could see the broad-shouldered turtle stick his arm through the hole and reach a latch that opened the window. He slipped inside, and Leo was the next to follow him.  
As Donnie came after, the first thing he noticed inside was how dark it was. Only small beams of moonlight trickled in to reveal a vast space with a high ceiling. He could distinguish outlines of rubble laying around, but little else. Both of his older brothers had already gotten down to the ground level, cautiously looking around with weapons at the ready. Donnie jumped down too, allowing Venus the space to come through the window next. She hardly made a sound when she landed with a soft thud next to him.  
“Where are they?” she asked.  
“I don’t know, it’s all quiet”, he said.  
Raph was roaming around, kicking through the rubble and searched for anything that could give them a clue as to what was so special about the abandoned factory. Leo stood in the middle of it, seeming uneasy.  
“Something’s not right”, he said.  
April came through the window too, closely followed by Casey.  
“But there’s nothing here! They must have gone through a secret passage or something.” Raph muttered loudly.  
Casey landed less gracefully on the ground next to April, and Mikey was on his way through the window.   
“We need to get out, now”, Leo suddenly exclaimed.  
“What are you talking about?” Raph protested.  
“Mikey! Go back, all of you up!” Leo shouted, but it was too late. As soon as Mikey had come entirely through the window, a loud click was heard and metal bars slammed in front of all of the windows at the same times as the lights were turned on, revealing that they were surrounded by Footbots with Tigerclaw, Fishface and Rahzar laughing menacingly at them.  
Instinctively Donnie and the others edged closer to the middle where Leo and Raph stood. They formed a ring back to back with all of their weapons out and grim faces. This was bad, really bad. He swooped his reddish-brown eyes over the numerous Footbots, furiously calculating in his head and searching for an opening. He couldn’t see any.  
Tigerclaw took a step towards them. He held a remote control, probably the device that had activated the metal bars.  
“So here they are, the mighty Turtles caught in our trap. It was easier than we thought to get your attention and tricking you into following us”, he said with a wicked smile. Fishface and Rahzar grinned widely behind him.  
“What do you want, Tigerclaw?” Leo spat.  
“Simple enough, I want you to die.”  
At those words, all of the Foot Clan came surging forward.  
“Stay together!” Leo managed to shout before his words were drowned by the clanking of metal against metal. Donnie whirled his staff furiously, using every ounce of his skill to keep the enemy at bay. He managed to block a strike directed at Mikey to his right, but in that movement his weapon was locked for a fraction of second, preventing him from stopping Rahzar coming straight at him. He panicked, unable to do anything as he saw the sharp claws being lifted to hit him… but then Venus’ quick reflexes saved him. Reaching inside a secret pocket in her light blue cloth she blew knockout-powder right in the canine’s eyes and sealed the come-back by hitting him hard on the nose with the end of her dagger, sending him howling and flying backwards to the ground with his hands clenched to his stinging face. Donnie had no time to thank her or even catch his breath as both of them had to block new incoming attacks from several Footbots.  
He had no conception of time as they all worked their hardest to stay alive. Eventually some of their foes managed to break their line, forcing them to split up in groups. He and Mikey formed a pair, constantly moving around to keep them off their backs. As they ran around Donnie noticed how he and the others had managed to take down a considerable amount of the ninjas in black, but there were still so many to go... He feared how much longer they could keep this up before any of them was hurt.  
A scream that shot an ice-cold shiver down his spine caught his attention. He whirled around to see Casey knocked to the ground, clutching the side of his chest. Above him stood Fishface, who probably had manage to kick him hard with his metal foot and cracked a rib. Raph, who was next to him, screamed his name and tried to defend him alone against a hoard of robots, but Fishface edged closer to a wincing Casey. Donnie hurled a bunch of throwing stars at the mutant, buying him the seconds he needed for him and Mikey to come to Casey’s aid. Fishface retreated with a hiss, clutching the arm where a star had hit, but a new wave of robotic ninjas took his place, which occupied his and his youngest brother’s full attention.   
While he was engaged in his own defense, he was horrified when he saw out of the corner of his eye how Raph was overpowered by the heap of Footbots attacking him, and he wasn’t the only one who noticed.  
“Get him!” Tigerclaw roared, and additional black ninjas came running to obey his command.  
“Leo!” Donnie cried out in desperation. The turtle in blue whirled around from his own duel and saw what was about to happen. He quickly finished his enemy and fought desperately to reach Raph, who was now disarmed and taking brutal hits to his face and abdomen. Leo clashed into the heap and swung his katanas wildly, cutting most of them in half with single strikes. Venus and April came running to help too.  
Tigerclaw saw them rallying and called for his minions to take the red one and retreat. They grabbed Raph and dragged him through an open door, with Fishface and Rahzar following suit.  
“NO!” Leo screamed, throwing himself forward, but Tigerclaw blasted him backwards with what looked like a Kraang weapon. He crashed on the floor, coughing, but quickly got up to reach the door. He was too late. As soon as Tigerclaw disappeared through the opening, it was shut and something metallic clanked in place from the other side, effectively locking them inside.  
Donnie, Mikey, Venus and April finished the remaining Footbots and ran towards the closed door. Leo was pounding on it without any results. They could hear Tigerclaw at the other side commanding Fishface and Rahzar to throw Raph into the biggest van, and the Footbots to dump the rest of the vehicles. Mikey saw something on the floor and bent down to pick it up, it was Raph’s trashed T-phone.  
“If they get away, we won’t be able to follow!” Mikey exclaimed.  
Donnie looked around in panic. The doors were shut and all of the windows were barred, they would never get out in time. As he looked up, he saw a slim, green figure crawl through a narrow ventilation shaft in the ceiling and disappear. It was Venus.  
“Mikey, can you get up there too?” he urged, nudging him in the side and pointing upwards. Mikey quickly caught on an climbed the walls to the same place. Unfortunately he stuck his head back out.   
“It’s no use, I just get stuck. Venus is the only one with a shell small enough to crawl through”, he shouted back down.  
“April, what about you?” Leo asked. She looked up, but shook her head defeatedly.  
“I’ve come a long way, but I lack the strength and vitality to climb that high.”  
Right then they heard an engine start, and the van on the other side drove away, leaving behind a silence that rang loudly in their ears.  
Raph was gone.

Venus crawled as fast as she could through the narrow shaft to the outer wall. There was a lid at the end screwed in place, on which she had to use all of her force to hit it open, ignoring the minor cuts in her palm as she did so.  
Once on the outside, she saw how the Footbots drove off with most of the vans, including the one with the tracking device. The one remaining with Raph, Tigerclaw, Fishface and Rahzar was still in place. She racked her brain on how to get the others out when she heard the engine fire up. There was no time.  
Silently but hurriedly she climbed down and managed to get on top of the van before it started to roll. She got her T-phone up and sent a text to Donnie: ‘Follow me’.   
As the van gained speed she clinged tight to the rails in the roof, hoping the others found a way to get out so they could follow her beacon.  
‘Hurry up, guys’, she thought.


	17. Earn you trust

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mikey and his brothers desperately try to get out to follow Venus ans Raph who's been taken.  
> Venus manages to remain in the shadows, but realises that she has to do something drastic to buy the guys more time to keep Raph from getting hurt.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning! Graphic depictions of violence!

Mikey fell to his knees, his brother was gone. He had landed back on the floor just when the last sound on the other side faded away. The world spun around and threatened to topple him over the edge into the mile-deep chasm that seemed to open before his feet.   
Donnie grasped his head with both arms, Leo pounded a single time on the locked door and leaned his forehead onto it, April cast her eyes downwards in grief and Casey slowly limped over to them, desperation radiating from his posture. What were they going to do?  
Donnie’s T-phone made a bleep, and he picked it up out of habit. Then he made a loud gasp that made Mikey and everyone else jerk their heads up.  
“It’s Venus, it says ‘Follow me’. She must be on that van!”  
He rose to his feet and a spark of hope blazed up inside him. They still had a chance to track them! If they could only get out… Again everybody looked around frantically, but no new opportunities presented themselves.  
“Donnie, can’t you hack the system and let us out?” April asked.  
“I could if I had access to the control panel, but it’s probably on the outside”, he explained defeatedly. Leo started to kick the door, it only budged a few millimeters.  
“Look for something we can use to break down the door with”, he said, following his own instructions. April and Mikey helped him search the rubble, but Donnie hesitated.  
“Even if we find something it’ll take long, too long. It’s a wooden door, but it’s still heavy, and judging by the clanking we heard there’s a metal bar on the other side locking it.”  
Before he finished his sentence, Leo had found a crowbar and marched back glaring at the door as if it had offended him personally.  
“Maybe, but it’s the only plan we have, and right now Venus is all that stands between Raph and Tigerclaw, Rahzar and Fishface. So until we figure out a better way, this is what we’ll do, we just have to put our backs into it.”  
Mikey cried out in triumph when he found an old sledgehammer under a pile of cardboard. He threw it over to Donnie who immediately started to hit the door in rhythm with Leo, using his arms’ length to their full advantage.   
In the meantime he joined April who had scooted over to Casey to check on his injury. The hockey-mask lay on the floor where he had collapsed against the wall, and he was breathing shallowly.  
“How are you feeling?” April asked him in a concerned voice.  
“Not too bad really, it only hurts when I move or when I breathe, hehe.” He tried to laugh, but the pain stopped him. April sighed.  
“As soon as we get out, we need to get you to a hospital.”  
“But I want to help!”  
“I know”, she said firmly and took his hand, “but you can’t.”  
“I’m sorry dude, but she’s right”, Mikey said sadly. He knew Raph was his best friend, and he would be devastated to be left behind.  
“Mikey! Come and switch place with me,” Leo called, panting heavily. He quickly got up and took the offered crowbar to replace him, starting to abuse the door with all his might. It had begun to crack, but there was still a long way to go.  
They went on like that, taking turns to keep up the force and the speed. Mikey had no idea how long they had been at it, he just knew it was too long. Finally they managed to break a hole big enough for them to use the crowbar on the metal bar on the outside. With his and Donnie’s combined strength they jerked it free and they were out.  
“I’ll stay with Casey, just go!” April shouted at them, and she didn’t have to tell them twice. He, Leo and Donnie sprinted for the Shell Raiser as the tallest turtle worked his T-phone. He had the position before they were inside the vehicle.   
“Harbour, east from here!”  
Leo stepped on the pedal before the doors had fully closed. As there was nothing more he could do right then, Mikey began to feel all the nervousness creeping up and making him nauseous. He prayed that they wouldn’t be too late.  
‘Hang on, Ve…’ he thought as he clenched the back of the driver’s seat.

Venus’ hands and arms were cramping from holding on to the rails. She lay with her head down, trying to focus on important matters, like what on earth she was going to do next. It almost made her miss the signs that they were slowing down.   
She looked up. It seemed they were near the harbour, she could smell the salty sea. The van crept along old warehouses, and stopped outside one that seemed abandoned.   
Without a sound she crawled down from the roof and sprinted for the darkest corners. There she saw how Rahzar and Fishface grabbed an unconscious Raph from the back and dragged him along the ground into the warehouse, and Tigerclaw closing the doors behind them.   
Venus scanned the building and quickly found an opening three meters up in the wall. She backed up to give herself room to bound upwards, grabbed a hold of the edge and heaved herself upwards. From there she could balance on the rafters hidden in shadow as she looked down at the scene.  
Rahzar and Fishface had bound Raph with leather straps around his wrists in a widespread , but kneeling position and fastened them to wooden posts. Tigerclaw loomed over him menacingly, and slapped his face to wake him up. Her stomach bundled up in a tight knot, wherever the guys were they would never get here in time. She had to do something.  
Determination flared inside her, burning like red-glowing coals and hardening her resoluteness.

Raph woke up by a stinging sensation and blinked to clear his vision. When the figure in front of him came into focus he tried to jump backwards, but found that leather straps cut into his wrists and prevented him from moving more than an inch.  
“Shit”, he muttered to himself as he looked around. He was in some kind of empty warehouse, and the crying seagulls outside told him he was a long way from the old factory were he had been taken. Beside the giant tiger in front of him he could distinguish the outlines of Rahzar and Fishface on either side.   
“Double shit.”  
“So the turtle is finally awake”, Tigerclaw said in a low snarl.  
“Watch it you overgrown kitten. My brothers will find me, and when they do you’ll be a sorry mess”, he said more confidently than he felt. The tiger roared with laughter, making Raph extremely uncomfortable.  
“So cocky, and yet you have no idea what a dire position you’ve gotten yourself into. Well, let me enlighten you.” The mutant got down on one knee to stare at him at the same eye level, he was so close Raph could smell his breath.  
“Your friends are locked in the factory, and even if they should get out somehow, they can’t track you here. I made sure you accidentally dropped your precious T-phone before we hauled you into the van.”  
Raph’s eyes widened in fear.  
“Now there’s the understanding I was looking for. Not so cocky anymore, are you?” he chuckled.  
“What are you gonna do with him?” Rahzar asked impatiently from behind. Tigerclaw rose and paced a few steps back and forth, all the while glaring menacingly at Raph.   
“I haven’t decided yet. Either I’ll kill him or use him as bait. I would love to finish him right on the spot, but on the other hand I know that his loving brothers would do anything to get him back. They probably would all surrender themselves if I can tweak the circumstances to my advantage.”  
His words made Raph pull at his bonds again with the same result. He desperately looked around for an escape, but there were none. Tigerclaw noticed his futile attempts and got closer again to grab him around his throat. Raph’s heart started to hammer against his plastron.  
“While I decide what to do, I can amuse myself by determining how loudly a turtle can scream when amputating an arm.” He bared his teeth and got out a knife. Raph panicked and shook his head violently, pulling at his restraints to keep the blade of his skin, but it was no use.  
“No, wait, NO!” He felt the sting as the knife made contact, but suddenly it stopped. Tigerclaw roared as he gripped his forearm, and Raph saw him pull out a couple of throwing stars from a bleeding cut. The big cat flared his nostrils as he searched for the source of the interruption.  
A small silhouette landed at the far end. She slowly walked towards them, back straight and head up with a piercing glare.  
“Venus…” Raph whispered in disbelief. Tigerclaw growled at her.  
“You! How did you get here?”  
“I have my ways”, she smirked.  
“So it seems. What do you want?”  
“I need you to let him go.”  
At her words, both Rahzar and Fishface erupted with laughter. He could see why since she was tiny in comparison, probably weighing half or less than any of them. He imagined Tigerclaw was grinning too, although he couldn’t see his face as he had his back to him. He licked his wound once before he dignified her with an answer.  
“Let him go, or what?” he mused.  
“Do you really want to find out?”  
“Why should I fear you? You’re an insignificant fly.”  
“Or maybe you’re gravely underestimating me.”  
“Insolent child, get her! he screamed, making Fishface and Rahzar edge closer.  
“I see”, Venus said as she leisurely got her daggers out, “you need two of your minions to take care of me instead of doing it yourself.”  
Tigerclaw stiffened and held up a hand to stop the others. She had hit a weak spot.  
“Do you even know who I am? I will crush you with a single strike!”  
She simply laid her head to the side as if curious.  
“Maybe, or maybe not. I’m willing to find out, but let’s make it interesting. If I win, you will let us go, and if you win, he’s still yours. But as long as I can stand, you won’t touch him.”  
Raph shook his head, it was madness. The mutant in charge growled in anger.  
“Why should I agree to these terms?”  
“Oh, so you do fear me?” she teased him, smiling wickedly.  
“Don’t…” Raph whispered, but there was nothing he could do. Tigerclaw shifted his stance and straightened up.  
“You have my word.”  
Venus exhaled in relief and took a defensive stance, with one dagger high above her head and the other in front of her. Her opponent didn’t care to draw any weapons, his claws were sharp enough.  
They circled each other for some time before he made the first attack. Raph’s heart skipped a beat, but she quickly dodged it and resumed the circling. She dodged the second attempt too. At his third, she lashed out with her dagger an actually managed to give him a nasty cut that made him retreat a little.  
“So the fly can sting like a bee”, the big cat grumbled. Then he intensified his attacks, making her duck and dive to avoid his massive frames. Her next move was blocked and he hit her hard in the torso, sending her flying backwards and crashing against the wall. She fell to the floor, coughing. But as Tigerclaw turned his back to her she quickly got up.  
“Hey, I’m not done yet!” she called, making him turn back with a snarl.  
It was agonizing for Raph not being able to do anything. He knew it was only a matter of time before he got her, and he would not be forgiving after she’d managed to enrage him. The hard knot in his stomach grew when the two of them started to circle each other again.  
Venus was more careful now, trying to remain out of his reach. It worked for some time, but eventually he got her again, this time landing several punches to her face, legs and chest before he lifted her into the air and threw her down with all his might. Raph heard how she lost her breath in the landing, wincing in pain as she tried to force the air back into her lungs. Hearing her gasps made him hurt too. He felt so worthless, not being able to help her.  
For a second time, Tigerclaw wheeled around and began walking towards Raph. Venus scrambled to her feet, and stood there swaying lightly. One of her eyes had started to turn black, she had nasty bruises over her legs and arms and a deep cut in her thigh that slowly trickled blood.  
“I’m still on my feet…” she said in a hoarse voice.  
“Just give up little fly, you can’t win”, he mocked her. He took another step towards his prisoner.  
“Don’t you dare touch him you COWARD!”  
For the second time Tigerclaw stopped and faced her again. Raph shook his head slightly, pleadingly.  
‘Don’t’, he thought.  
“This time I’ll make sure you can’t get up”, the massive mutant said and charged at her in full speed.   
She was too weak and slow to defend herself now. He brutally smashed into her and punched her without mercy. Sometimes he threw her across the warehouse, and if she didn’t get up in time he simply kicked her on the ground. Every punch or kick earned him a scream, which made tears well up in Raph’s eyes.  
Eventually she lay still on the floor on her side, panting heavily. Tigerclaw towered over her, ready to crush the insect once and for all.  
“Do you still feel like getting up?” he asked threateningly. Venus used all of her remaining strength to push herself up onto her elbows, but that was all she managed.  
“Don’t worry, I’ll end your suffering”, he snarled and prepared to thrust a final kick to her head.  
“NO!” Raph screamed in despair.   
Seemingly out of nowhere Mikey came surging and slided across the floor, shielding Venus with his own shell as he absorbed the force of the kick. Before Tigerclaw had recovered from the surprise, Leo jumped down on him from above, burying both of his katanas deep into his shoulder and making him howl with pain. At the same time Donnie appeared and cut him free with his naginata in one swift motion, throwing his sais towards him which he caught in time to meet Rahzar’s attack. Everything was a blur as they fought viciously against their enemies, but it didn’t last long as a bleeding Tigerclaw called for retreat. The three of them ran out the door and into their van, tires screeching as they drove off.   
The turtles made no attempt to follow them, but gathered around an unconscious Venus. Mikey had rolled her onto her back, and was gently stroking her unscatched cheek, talking to her in soft, comforting words.  
“It’s okay, we’re here now... you’ll be fine, we’ll get you home… sorry we took so long… you’ll be okay…” he went on in a shaky voice. Leo sat on his knees at her other side, with one hand on her forehead and the other hand clutching hers. There were signs of fallen tears on his face which he tried to wipe away using his shoulders without letting go of her hand. When Raph and Donnie approached too Donnie simply froze, and Raph put a hand over his mouth, unable to stop his own tears from falling.  
She was a complete mess. One of her eyes was black, and her lower lip was swollen with a trickle of blood running down her neck onto a nasty cut along her collarbone. One of her shoulders was dislocated, and there were visible signs of broken bones on her forearm and her thigh. The other thigh held the long bleeding cut from before. Her plastron had a crack and one ankle was swollen to it’s double size. On top of it all she had brutal bruises and claw marks all over her body. Her eyes were closed and unresponsive, and her breathing was shallow, probably from great pain.   
He couldn’t bear to look at it anymore. He bent forward until his forehead touched the floor, laying both arms across his head and feebly trying to shut out the images that had imprinted in his mind.  
“Raph, what happened?” Leo croaked. It took him several attempts to answer.  
“She taunted him,.. tricked him into focusing on her. She endured… all of this. All of this to spare me…”  
“She bought us time…” Mikey whispered, still stroking her cheek.  
“But at a terrible price!...” Raph faltered. Donnie was the one who brought them back to reality.  
“Come on, we need to get her to the Shell Raiser so we can take her home.  
Raph carefully took her in his arms and got up with the help of the others to minimize her discomfort as much as possible. Unfortunately it proved to be mission impossible, Venus whimpered at every movement, but he gritted his teeth and kept walking.   
Once inside the Shell Raiser he carefully laid her down on the floor, still with a shallow breathing.   
“Donnie, can’t you do anything for her?” he pleaded. His brother gave him a sad look.  
“There’s not much I can do. I have some morphine I can give her, but the rest of my stuff is in my lab.” Raph turned to Leo.  
“What about you Leo, can you heal her?” But the turtle in blue was shaking all over from shock.   
“I’m sorry... I want to, but… healing requires...”, his voice quaked no matter how hard he tried to steady it, “I’m really sorry… I’m not even sure I can drive.” He held up his trembling hands to prove his point.  
“I can drive”, Donnie said, “but first we need to fix her shoulder. As soon as we get to the lair Sensei can heal her, but we need to pop the shoulder back in place first, the sooner the better.  
“Won’t that hurt when she’s like this?” Mikey asked.  
“Like hell, but we have to do it.” Donnie replied gravely. “I need one of you to help me, I can’t do it on my own.”  
“I’ll do it”, Raph said, “I can handle it.”  
Donnie gave her a full dose of morphine and instructed him on what to do. Despite the meds Venus screamed in pain when they popped it back in place. The sound rang loudly in his ears, but he endured it. Mikey didn’t handle it quite as well. He hid his face on Leo’s shoulder while his brother hugged him tight and rocked him as he whispered soothing words in his ear.   
Donnie took the wheel and drove slowly through the quiet streets not to disturb her more than necessary. The other three sat around her, and Leo had resumed holding her hand.  
Raph’s arms were wrapped around his knees and his mind was far off when Mikey nudged him.  
“Hey, are you okay?”  
“No Mikey, I’m not.” He made a pause, Mikey waited.  
“I was hard on her... for days and during training today. I wouldn’t forgive her for her mistake and I can’t stop wondering… if I had, would it have made any difference?”  
Mikey gripped his upper arm in understanding.  
“No it wouldn’t.” Raph looked up at him. “She would have done the same thing no matter what. Because that is who she is”, he explained gently. Raph took a shuddering breath.  
“Yeah, I know.”  
It felt like an eternity before they got underground and managed to transport her back to the lair. Sensei was awaiting them thanks to Donnie’s call, and they took her to the lab where a table was prepared. The ever-calm Sensei reacted when he saw the state of her, but said nothing. He took his time with the preparations and chanted for a long time before his hands began to glow with the bluish light and laid them in the middle of her plastron. Her body reacted by lifting a little off the table as she took a long deep breath. When she sank back on her shell her breathing had eased up, and so did everybody elses’.


	18. Healing scars

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Venus is safely back at the lair and the others tend to her until she wakes up. She has a brief chat with Raph and a longer conversation with Leo to make amends.

Mikey edged closer to Venus’s side. Something had changed, but she was still unconscious. To his relief it now looked more like she was sleeping, although she still looked like a mess. Donnie tended to her wounds and wrapped her broken bones tight with splints. They were all silent, but Mikey couldn’t hold it in anymore.  
“Sensei, isn’t she alright now? I thought that you healed her?” Master Splinter laid a patient hand on his youngest son’s shoulder.   
“I healed the most urgent wounds, and have speeded up the process on the greater ones. But you have to understand that healing is not a kind of magic that simply waves away injuries like these. It will take time, a lot of rest and several healing sessions. Until she makes a full recovery, we will tend to her. Do you understand, Michelangelo?” he asked kindly.  
“Hai, Sensei.” Mikey smiled gratefully at his father and settled down next to Venus to wait for her to wake up.  
In the meantime, Leo, Donnie and Raph gave an extensive report on all that had happened. He let them speak, only asking questions when their stories became a blur. After they’d finished, he got up and walked over to Venus’ side to lay a hand on her forehead and smiled kindly.  
“It was a blessing when you came into our family’s life. You probably saved Raphael’s life tonight, and for that I am forever grateful.”  
They took turns to sit by her side, watching over her and waiting for her to regain consciousness. Donnie took her vitals every now and then, but little changed. At some point Mikey heard Sensei talk to Leo about how he should help him with Venus by practising his healing skills, on which the oldest brother consented.  
Hours later Mikey resumed his spot next to Venus and relieved Raph of his duties. Leo was at the end of the provisional bed, pacing back and forth. He had hardly left the lab since they got back, and Mikey deduced it to be because of guilt. He knew the leader felt responsible for what had happened, and no matter how much he wanted to take his pain away, he knew Leo well enough to know that there was nothing he could say or do to change those feelings.  
Suddenly Venus’ eyelids fluttered, and she groaned as she tried to sit up.  
“Woah, easy Ve. Don’t try to get up.”  
Mikey gently restrained her, and she immediately sank back on her pillow with a strained sigh and her eyes closed. At the foot end, Leo exhaled in relief.  
“How do you feel?” Mikey asked.  
“Like I’ve been hit by a train”, she mumbled, and he couldn’t help his chuckling. “Where am I?”  
“You’re back at the lair. Don’t worry, you’re safe.” Her eyes opened slowly against the bright light, it took her a few seconds before she remembered and her eyes widened in sudden fear.  
“And Raph?” she asked pleadingly.  
“Right here, and without a scratch thanks to you”, Raph said as he appeared, leaning against the doorway. Venus relaxed and flashed a tired smile, which the red turtle returned. He walked over to her and clasped her hand in his, holding it up so their elbows met.   
“And I’ll punish Tigerclaw for what he did to my little sister”, he said with force. Venus tried to chuckle, and it only partly came out as coughing.  
“Easy now brother, I can’t save your ass twice in a week”, she said tenderly. Raph gruffed in response but tweaked the corners of his mouth.  
Mikey felt the lump in his throat grow, which matched his watery eyes.   
“So how bad is it?” she asked in a hoarse voice. That was Donnie’s cue to turn up.  
“I’m afraid you’re gonna be here for some time, even with healing it could take a couple of weeks to get you fully recovered.”  
“I was afraid you were gonna say that”, she rasped slowly, “I don’t want to complain, but this bed isn’t the most comfy…”  
“You can have my room”, Raph cut in, “I’ll bunk with Leo, if that’s okay?” he raised his voice a little to get the oldest attention. At some point Leo had turned away and stood with his arms crossed, lost in thought. He jerked when he heard his name.  
“What? Yeah, of course.”  
They all talked for a little while, basking in the joy of being together. After that it was a slow process to get Venus installed in Raph’s room. She had to lean heavily on both Raph and Mikey and grit her teeth quite a bit even though they were extremely careful. Mikey propped her up against a massive pile of pillows and made sure she got everything she wished for. He brought her food and kept her quiet company until Sensei deemed it to be time for another healing session. Leo was with him to watch and learn. After the glowing faded from Master Splinter’s hands, she fell asleep almost immediately, and they all trodded out to let her rest.

Leo had no idea what time it was, or how long he’d been sitting next to a sleeping Venus. He only knew that the others were still asleep and the lair was dead quiet.  
Scenes from yesterday night haunted his mind, and other scenes of what could have been. He did his best to shut them out.   
Her braid had curled up against her neck and partly covered her mouth. It looked uncomfortable, so he reached out a finger to pull it away and gently touched her cheek in the process as he smoothed it out over her shoulder.  
Right then Venus opened her eyes and Leo froze, hand still on the light blue ends.  
“Hi”, she said and took a deep breath.  
“Hi”. Leo brought his hand back to his lap.  
“Checking up on me, are you?” she asked sleepily. He shrugged his shoulders.  
“Thought I might as well, I couldn’t sleep.”  
“Was it Raph’s snoring that disturbed you? I could hear it through the wall…” she giggled. A flash of memory when Raph clasped her hand cropped up in his head, and he quickly smothered the stinging sensation as he lowered his gaze to study the floor.  
“No. I’m used to that.” There was silence.  
“Leo, are you okay?”  
More silence.  
“Mikey thinks that you feel guilty about what happened…”  
“Of course I do, and I should.” His voice shuddered. “I was the one who lead us into the trap. If I hadn’t, none of this would’ve happened!” he exclaimed in a low voice and turned his head away.  
“Leo…” she whispered and gently grabbed his upper arm, which made him shut his eyes firmly. Instinct told him to pull away, he didn’t deserve her kindness. When he didn’t respond she lifted her hand further to place it on his cheek.  
“Hey, look at me, please.” Her words were so soft. Despite his intentions, he couldn’t help but lean his head into her touch and do her bidding. His eyes met hers.. That special grey, with streaks of green and the touch of yellow. She gave him a comforting smile.  
“I know you carry the burden of being a leader, but you have to believe me when I say that I don’t blame you for anything. This is not your fault.”  
“But I could have…”  
“You took all the precautions, and nobody suspected that trap. But despite us being outnumbered you held us together as long as you could. And when you were locked inside, you found a way to get out to follow me.”  
Leo took her hand into both of his. He noticed how slender it was compared to his, how easily it fit into his palm. He closed his fingers around it and put it to his forehead.  
“When we got to the warehouse… for a heartbeat I thought we were too late. Just a couple of seconds later and…” She gently squeezed his hand.  
“I made a choice of my own”, she cut in. “Nobody forced me, and I would do it it again for any of you. That is the only burden you have to bear.”  
He lowered their hands in level with his mouth so he could look at her again. Her gaze was sincere and determined as ever. His lips graced her knuckles.  
“It will be a while before I stop feeling guilty”, he said.  
“Well in that case, you could always do me a couple of favors to make it up to me”, she said casually. Leo raised an eyebrow.  
“What did you have in mind?”  
“First, heal me so I can get out of this bed”, she answered, faining irritation. He smiled in response.  
“Anything else?”  
“Promise to keep me company now and then. There’s no comic book in the world that’ll be interesting enough for a week..” Leo couldn’t help his grinning.  
“I promise.”


	19. Recovery

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Venus is living with the turtles during her recovery. During that time she has to find new routines before she can go back to normal training. Later, on a movie night, Leo is forced to be honest with himself.

It took some time for Venus to get used to her new situation. During the first few days she slept most of the time. It didn’t bother her particularly since it made time pass much faster, what really agitated her was her weakness. She ached to get up and move around, but unfortunately it caused her a great deal of pain.  
She wasn’t used to the fussing either. Raph showed an overprotective side which she wasn’t sure she appreciated. But Mikey was especially bad, constantly asking her what she wanted to eat or what he could get her. Once her patience actually ran out which led to harsh comments, apologies, and a deal where she promised to ask for help when she needed it instead of him peppering her with questions. It worked out much better.  
It was the healing that made her tired. Sensei had to remind her of how it was normal since the body was led to restore her physical condition at an accelerated rate, and the cost was an increased appetite and the craving for rest. Sometimes she could stay up for a couple of hours after a healing session, other times she fell asleep almost immediately. Once she had had to be half-carried back to Raph’s room by Leo and Donnie from the dojo where the healing took place, before she could let herself sink into blissful unconsciousness. Fortunately she managed to stay up longer for each day that passed, matching the progress of her regaining mobility.  
Her friends and family kept her company. At a couple of times her aunt and father came down to see her, but none of their visits lasted long. Taka quickly became tired and had to excuse himself while he still had the strength to walk back home. Venus thought he had caught a bug, but she new she had to admit that he was beginning to get older. Besides that, she concluded that their new lifestyle in a tiny apartment where he wasn’t free to go out as before, wasn’t helpful in retaining his stamina.  
April came by most days after school which she always looked forward to. Their girly talks were a welcome variety in contrast to all the testosterone. Venus couldn’t believe how close they’d gotten, and hated to see her go to train in the dojo with the others before she had to go home.  
Raph came and talked a few times, or rather, bantered with her. She had made it into a habit to have something at the ready to throw at him every time he hinted at her weakness having something to do with her being tiny. Donnie also came to give her check ups to update her estimated recovery time. When she felt strong enough she managed to limp over and visit him as well in his lab where they fell into their usual roles of brilliant inventor and helpful assistant.  
Of course she spent a lot of time with Mikey, always in a good mood and always ready to cheer her up when she was down. Now they had plenty of time for laugh and video games. In the beginning all she had been able to do was watch him play while trying not to fall asleep herself. There was a time were she had nodded off on his bed, and he hadn’t had the heart to disturb her. When she had opened her eyes she had found him lying eagle spread on the floor drooling. Venus had shaken her head in amused disbelief and gently prodded him into his own bed while scolding him mildly for not waking her up.  
Apart from all that Venus spent a considerable amount of time with Leo. He honored his promise and kept her company as often as he could. Sometimes they played card games, meditated in the dojo or watched TV. But most of all they just talked, mostly sharing childhood memories and entrusting each other with tiny secrets. Venus loved these moments. She thought about how different it could be, because conversation was just as easy with Leo as it was with Mikey. But where Mikey always could make her laugh and handle her temper when in a bad mood, Leo always made her feel like she was listened to. It gave her a special sense of value. Despite countless of hours playing in the woods back at her old home, that was something Zeth had never managed to do even during the good times.  
When Venus had recovered almost completely Sensei requested to speak with her in private. He began with profound gratefulness for what she had done for his son, and then they spoke of her training. She ensured him that she was aching to get back in action and develop her skills. That’s when Master Splinter surprised her by making her a special proposal. He offered to take her training one on one for three weeks to lay complete focus on her Ninjutsu skills. He warned Venus that the training would be hard and at a brutal pace, but after watching her latest sparring session with Raph that now seemed so long ago, he was confident that she would manage. She had also proven beyond doubt that she deserved the chance. Venus was elated and didn’t hesitate for a second before she consented to this invaluable opportunity. A date for their departure was set, and she began the countdown.

Leo was sitting comfortably on the couch while the others scooted around. Mikey was making his special pizza, and was now fretting over Donnie who tried to fix the disturbance between the VHS-player and the TV. Their little brother wanted to serve the pizza sizzling hot, but Donnie couldn’t give him an exact time when the problem was fixed. Raph was on edge too, he couldn’t handle either Mikey’s or Donnie’s nagging, which made his temper rise slowly towards boiling point. He sighed.  
“Mikey, just wait with putting the pizza in the oven until Donnie’s fixed it. We can watch the trailers while it’s in the oven and time it perfectly for when the movie starts. And Raph, go blow off some steam on the punching bag, you know you need it.”  
“Not on a mission and still you enjoy telling us what to do”, Raph retorted grumpily. Another sigh from Leo.  
“Just do it.”  
Raph muttered as he walked away, and at the same time Venus came in. Leo couldn’t stop the jolt he felt every time he saw her, but he resolutely pushed it aside. Still he gave her a smile.  
“Not beating each other up? That’s a good sign”, she said a little amused as she sat down next to Leo. His inside stiffened, but outwardly he remained casual.  
“For now, but I could use some help”, he answered conspiratorially. Right then Mikey came in to prove his point.  
“Are you done yet?” he asked the lean brother who hunched behind the TV.  
“No”, was the curt response. Five seconds passed.  
“How about now?”  
“NO”  
“Come on dude! I’m hungry…” And so they were off. Leo rolled his eyes and Venus did her best to hide her giggling behind her hand. Then she decided to interfere.  
“Hey Mikey? I think I’m starting to have a sore throat. Could you please make me a cup of tea, with milk warmed separately and a big spoon of honey?” The youngest turtle immediately whipped around.  
“Of course I can!” he said with his cutest smile. “Be back in a sec!” He sprinted off towards the kitchen again. Venus grinned and winked towards Leo and he felt himself chuckle back.  
“You’re good”, he said.  
“Thanks.” She sank further down until her head rested against the backrest with her eyes half-closed.  
“How are you feeling? Tired?” he asked. She’d had her final healing session with him earlier that day. For every time she’d craved less and less rest and managed to stay awake longer, but there had been set-backs. Nothing to worry about though, some sessions were simply more draining.  
“A little perhaps, but I hope I can stay awake during the whole movie.”  
“Well from tomorrow on you don’t have to worry about that anymore. Are you longing to get back to your aunt’s apartment?”  
“Yes I am. I can’t put a price on what you’ve all done for me, but I guess there’s no place like home, even if it’s a scruffy apartment in the attic… But I’ll miss our talks”, she added.  
“That doesn’t have to stop”, he blurted out. Thankfully she just smiled without looking in his direction, which meant she couldn’t see his blushing. Why was he blushing?  
“Finally! It’s done”, Donnie proclaimed. He flicked the remote and an overjoyed Mikey made a turn on his heel after he’d delivered Venus’ cup of tea to throw the pizza into the oven. Raph joined them after having calmed down and the following hour was quite pleasant.  
Somewhere in the middle of the movie Venus nodded off. Her head slowly fell to the side and came to rest on Leo’s shoulder. Not knowing what to do he began to move, but Mikey stopped him.  
“Stay still, you’ll wake her up! You know Sensei told us how important it is that she gets her rest!”  
Leo settled back. He knew that once she’d fallen asleep due to healing, nothing but a minor earthquake could wake her up, but he didn’t bother to argue with him and tried to find a comfortable position where he crossed his arms. Venus breathed slowly and steadily, fanning him with gusts of warm air. He stared blankly at the screen.  
After the movie had finished, they continued with a Crognard-marathon. Donnie was the first to doze off with his mouth wide open, but he was closely followed by Raph and then Mikey. Leo remained until the end of the current episode before he tried to reach for the remote. As he did he leaned far to the side, causing Venus to slide further down on his plastron. It made her stirr in her sleep, and she shifted her position where she put both her feet up and snuggled into his torso with one arm around him before she returned to that slow and steady breathing.  
Leo froze in panic, not knowing what to do. He shut his eyes firmly while he fought a furious battle in his mind. But the reasonable side didn’t stand a chance, he guessed it never had. He exhaled in defeat and looked down at the wonderful creature on his chest. He found a new position where he could relax half-sitting, and wrapped both his arms gently around her.   
‘Why am I trying to fool myself?’ he thought. ‘I can’t deny it anymore... I am completely, head over heels, and irrevocably in love with you.’ He traced his fingertips from her temple down to her neck, over and over.   
‘Perhaps it started already the first time I met you, and it's not getting any easier.’ His heart ached, threatening to throw him into despair. ‘But you can never be mine, I can’t risk it.... So I’ll settle for this moment and pretend that you are, even if it’s just for half an hour.’   
And so he did. He sat there in the dark and allowed himself his thoughts and impossible dreams for a short time, taking in her sweet smell while longing fingers caressed her cheek. Eventually he rose, taking her carefully in his arms and carried her silently into Raph’s room to lay her down on the bed. When he loosened his grip she stirred apprehensively like she was having a bad dream, and instinct made him grab her hand.   
“It’s okay”, he whispered, “you’re safe, I’m watching over you”. It seemed to work as she settled down again, mumbling something underneath her breath.   
“Leo…” He couldn’t help himself, he leaned in and placed a soft kiss on her forehead. He quickly rose before he did something more stupid and went out the room without a sound. He returned to the living area where he roused his snoring brothers and made them all get into their beds. Raph had already resumed his loud snoring on the floor when he lay down on his own bed on his back, with one arm behind his neck and the other resting on his chest. He was staring up at the ceiling, and sleep took its sweet time before it claimed him.


	20. Bad news

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Donnie gets some devastating results in his lab and has to deliver the news. Mikey is called upon to comfort Venus in his own way. In the end Leo and Venus has a brief talk that ends unexpectedly for Leo.

Donnie dragged himself to the kitchen. It would be a long day in the lab and he needed to eat something before he emerged himself in his work. He was still groggy from sleep, but his body functioned on autopilot as it grabbed a bowl, a spoon and the cereal in front of Raph before he sat down.  
“Morning bro, want some orange juice?” Mikey asked behind him.  
“Coffee, I need coffee”, he mumbled in reply.  
“Don’t know how you can drink that stuff”, Leo said across from him. He sat sipping his tea with an empty bowl in front of him. He had probably finished his breakfast long ago as he tended to be the first one to wake up.  
“And what’s better with the stuff you’re drinking?” Raph gruffed.  
“It’s not that bad. Plus, it has a calming effect, which is needed sometimes when around you guys…” The last part was spoken in a lower voice, but Donnie could not determine whether they were supposed to hear it or not.  
He blocked out most of the bickering and focused on his own food. Half-way through Venus came in too and sat down next to him.  
“Morning sleepy head, how are you feeling?” Mikey chirped, alert as ever. Venus shot him a big smile.  
“Great actually! Can’t wait to get back to training, I’m craving some action. Besides, I need to build up some of the strength I’ve lost before I go on solo training with Sensei.” Mikey made a face before he turned back to the stove.  
“I’m not sure I would be so eager to train solo with him. He knows how to work you hard, and with no one else who can distract him… well, better you than me”, he finished.  
“You’re such a wuss, Mikey. Don’t listen to him, it’ll be awesome. You can join me for training right after breakfast if you want”, Raph said.  
“Sure, what about you Donnie?  
“Can’t, I’ve got research to do. It’ll probably be for the greater part of the day.”  
“Fine, what about you Leo?”  
“I’m good, I’ve already had morning training so I’ll wait for the session with Sensei later tonight.”  
Mikey squeezed himself in with a full plate containing eggs, sausages and left over-pizza.  
“You’re usually up by that time, what made you sleep in so long today?” he asked spluttering food over the table.  
“Don’t know, it’s because of the healing I guess, it really knocked me out. I’m not even sure how I got back in bed.”  
“You fell asleep in the middle of the movie, so Leo had to carry you to Raph’s room before he kicked us into beds too”, Donnie explained. This statement seemed to startle Venus, making her look towards Leo who’d just finished his tea and took his breakfast bowl to the sink.  
“You did?” she asked him, looking perplexed. Leo answered absent-mindedly.  
“Hm? Yeah, seemed easier than to try and wake you up… you know you sleep hard after healing…”  
“I guess…” she said, but still looked puzzled.  
“Why so bewildered?” Raph broke in, “It’s not like you’re heavy, any of us could have managed it.”  
“Yeah, I know. It’s just… I thought it was a dream…” she trailed off in a low voice, so low that Donnie probably was the only one who heard it. Leo really took great care in washing his bowl slowly, and even toweled it instead of just leaving it to dry on the sink. Venus shook her head slightly to clear it from her dazed thoughts and stood up.  
“Anyway, are you finished Raph? I want that training before I get home to spend some time with father before practice tonight.”  
“Yeah, I’m coming.”  
They went out of the kitchen. Mikey was soon out too but headed for his room instead, undoubtedly to read one of his comic books. Donnie shoveled the last of his cereal into his mouth and carried his bowl to the sink where Leo still hung. His hands were placed on the countertop on either side of him and he leaned heavily on his arms with his head down. He let out a heavy sigh when Donnie opened the tap.  
“I can take care of it”, his oldest brother offered.  
“Are you alright?” he said with concern.  
“Yeah, it’s nothing… Didn’t get much sleep, that’s all.”  
“Okay, let me know if it gets worse.”  
“I will”, he said with a tired smile.  
Donnie left him to it and headed for his lab. Some of his machines were still working on an analysis since he’d set them to it last night. It was a slow progress, he thought to himself that he really needed to visit a dump to fish around for some badly needed upgrades. While he let the machines do their work he occupied himself with research on the internet. He needed as much information as he could get, since this area was relatively new to him, at least on this level.  
After a couple of hours there was a distinctive ‘bing’ from the machine, letting him now it was done. He slid over on his desk chair to read the results. As his eyes scanned the paper over and over his heart rate increased considerably.  
“Shit”, he mumbled.  
He scrambled back towards his computer and let his fingers hail upon the keys, searching for more information that could oppose his conclusions. When he couldn’t find any, he switched his search for a solution. After another couple of hours it had earned him nothing. He buried his head in his arms across the keyboard and tried to stifle the despair.  
“Shit, shit, shit…”  
He sat like that for a while, taking deep breaths to steady himself. When he was reasonably sure that his legs would carry him, he took all of his papers and went to the dojo. As he had hoped, he found Sensei in there, sitting by himself.  
“Sensei, can I talk to you?”  
“Of course you can, come in”, he said in his serene voice. Donnie slowly entered, not in the slightest hurry to reveal his findings, and Sensei noticed.  
“What is wrong my son?” Now he sounded more concerned. Donnie had to take several breaths before his voice carried.  
“Sensei, I’ve analysed some tests and… the results are bad…” His father listened under silence as he explained all that he had found, the double checks, the lack of solutions and the implications. When he had finished, he felt like a rag that had been wrung hard. His father spoke to him.  
“These are very grave news that you bring”, he stated sadly.  
“I don’t know what to do…” Donnie said with a sob.  
“Yes, you do. There is no question about what you have to do, what is stopping you is you knowing how hard it will be.” He knew it was true, but it couldn’t stop him from shuddering.  
“It will crush her…”  
“It is a heavy burden to be the messenger, just remember that none of this is your fault. I cannot carry the burden for you, but I will stand by your side when you do it if you want me to.”  
He sniffled. “I would like that.”  
“Then let us go immediately.”  
“Hai, Sensei.” He gathered his papers with shaky hands and followed his father through the sewers. He sent a text to Venus to notify that he was coming to their place, and ignored the reply where it said “Sure, why?”.   
They had to take their time to make sure the coast was clear before they climbed the building since it hadn’t become fully dark yet. Venus was waiting by her window to let him in.  
“Well, this is a surprise. Must be something urgent?” she inquired. Donnie clenched his papers and used his other hand to scratch the back of his head in an awkward manner.  
“Yeah, it kind of is…” he said evasively. Venus was very surprised when Sensei came in the window after him, and it made her suspicious.  
“Good evening, Venus”, he said.  
“What’s going on?” she said when she finally noticed Donnie’s nervousness. When words failed him Sensei stepped forward.  
“We would like to speak to you and your father in the living room.”  
“O...okay.”   
She led the way, and found Mr Hayashi already sitting on the couch. Her aunt wasn’t to be seen, she was probably working a late shift.  
“Yoshi, Donatello! This is a surprise, to what do I owe this pleasure?”  
“I wish it was a pleasure Taka, but I’m afraid that Donatello has to deliver bad news.” He laid a heavy hand on Donnie’s shoulder, it felt like the weight of the world, and he closed his eyes so he wouldn’t have to see their faces. Venus’ anxious, and Mr Hayashi’s suspecting.  
“You have found something?” the mutated hamster asked, but it was more of a statement.  
“Found what? Can somebody please tell me what’s going on before I lose my mind?” Venus said in a shrill voice. Donnie inhaled slowly.  
“Maybe you need to sit down.” They did. He inhaled again.  
“You don’t know it Ve, but when Mr Hayashi came to visit you when you were hurt I noticed how he seemed to be worn and got tired too easily. I offered then to take some tests to see if I could find something.”  
“And I guessed that you had when you came by that evening a few days later, asking me for more blood to make further tests”, Mr Hayashi filled in. Venus looked back and forth between them.   
“And why didn’t you tell me about it before?”  
“I didn’t know what it was”, Donnie excused himself. “I just knew that the results were off, but it could be anything. I didn’t want to worry you in case it proved to be a normal infection. So I took the blood and ran more tests. It took longer than I thought, which was good in a way because I could gather all the information I needed on the internet to make sure I wasn’t making any mistake. Of course later I wished really badly that I had, but the evidence were clear, they all pointed to the same…  
“Donatello”, Mr Hayashi interrupted him, “I understand that what you have to say is hard. But right now you are rambling. Therefore I ask you to be honest and straightforward.”   
Another steadying breath, but the lump in his throat made it hard. Sensei gripped his shoulder in support.  
“You have cancer, a kind of leukemia… and.. and.. and it’s fatal…”  
The bomb was dropped, and he waited for it to explode. The silence that followed was almost tangible. He kept his eyes on the mat, he couldn’t bear to look at them.  
“I see”, Mr Hayashi finally said in a distant voice. “How long?”  
“It’s hard to say. Normally, with the right medications, you could live for years. Unfortunately your mutation doesn’t work in your favor. According to the DNA tests and my calculations it speeds up the process considerably, although if I could find medicine and combine it with…”  
“Donatello…”  
Breathing.  
“If I’m right… Six months, give or take one… if I get hold of any drugs, maybe a year…”  
The silence entered the room again, pressing upon them all. Donnie carefully glanced towards them. Mr Hayashi looked defeated, but he didn’t seem too surprised. He must have sensed that something was wrong even before Donnie came back with the devastating results. Venus, on the other hand, was in the state of denial. Her eyes were wide open and stared blankly ahead. Every now and then she twitched her head from side to side, as if she could shake away the truth she had just learnt. The twitching increased and became tremors, accompanying her gasping for air. He reached out a hand.  
“Ve…”  
She burst out of the room, knocking things over on her way to her room and the open window.  
“Ve, wait!”  
“Let her go Donatello”, Mr Hayashi said sadly. “There is nothing you can do to stop her anyway.” Donnie collapsed at the other end of the couch, and the tears finally fell down his cheeks.  
“I’m sorry, Mr Hayashi”, he croaked.  
“So am I, my dear boy.” The older mutant moved over to place a hand on his back. It made Donnie look up into those dark, kind eyes. They held no blame whatsoever, only grief.  
“When you have had a moment, perhaps you could answer some of my questions?”   
He wiped away his tears with the back of his hand. “Of course, Mr Hayashi. As best as I can.”

Leo stood by the pinball machine and watched the little marble bounce up and down in a random pattern. His mind wasn’t really into it, he was merely trying to kill some time. Mikey seemed to have the same thought.  
“I’m off to skate in the tunnels, should be back in an hour or so!” he called at them.  
“No need to hurry!” Raph replied as he waved him off from the couch without taking his eyes off his comic book.  
A pinging sound brought his attention back to the machine. When he’d lost his focus he’d lost the game. He exhaled, but restless as he was he started a new one since there was nothing better to do.  
He’d only been playing for about ten minutes when Venus barged past them in the living area and threw herself into the dojo, slamming the doors behind her. Before Leo could even think of asking what had happened he heard her trashing the room. He gave Raph a puzzled look, his features mimicking his own, and they got up to find out what was going on.   
Through a narrow slit in the door left ajar they could see her. She had thrown all the training equipment out of the locker across the entire room and now seemed determined to turn it all into a sorry pile of splint wood.   
“Damn, have you ever seen her like this?” What the heck’s happened?” Raph wondered.  
“Haven’t got a clue”, Leo responded just as his T-phone rang. It was Donnie.  
“Hey D”  
“Leo! Is Venus in the lair?”  
“Yeah, she just got in…”  
“Oh good, I thought she had gone off to do something stupid”, he said relieved. Leo took another look through the door.  
“Yeah… not sure about that last though. What in the world happened?” His question was met with a moment of silence before he realised that his younger brother was crying.  
“Donnie?”  
“I’ve just told them... Mr Hayashi is dying, my lab tests confirmed it this afternoon.” He hung up, and Leo almost dropped the phone. By the horrid look on Raph’s face he had heard it all too.  
“Oh my God…” He stared at the door to the dojo. The crashing sounds had not reduced in either pace or noise. “What should we do? Should we go in?” He looked at Leo, whose mind was racing. He gripped his T-phone.  
“No”, was the answer, and he dialed a number. “We wait.”  
He put the phone to his ear. It was only two signals before the youngest picked it up.  
“What up Leo? Miss me already?” came Mikey’s voice.  
“Mikey, you need to come back right now! Venus needs you!” He could tell over the phone that his brother was startled.  
“I’m running as we speak. What happened?”  
“Mr Hayashi is dying.” There was a loud gasp.  
“I’m coming.”

It only took him a few minutes to get back to the lair. The first thing he saw was Raph pacing back and forth outside the dojo and Leo staring through the door which was ajar.  
“How bad is it?” he asked panting. Raph merely hinted towards the gap if the noise wasn’t clue enough. He got closer to take a peek.   
He could see the dojo was trashed, with training weapons all over the place, and a considerable amount of them were in pieces. Right now Venus was using one of the dull ones to abuse the dummy, or at least he thought it had been a dummy…  
“Okay… right” he said before he cautiously took a step inside.  
She wasn’t aware of him as she continued to maltreat the heap on the floor. He slowly edged closer.  
“Ve?” No response.  
“Ve… are you okay?” A few more steps. Right before he was going to open his mouth again she spoke between the beating.  
“We come here…(thump)... and we find you… (thump)... you give us… a safe haven… I even get to… train with you… to develop my skills… and strength.” There was a slight pause as she caught her breath, but her eyes were still livid.  
“Easy..” Mikey whispered as he edged closer.  
“But it was all for nothing, since I can’t use ANY of it against an enemy that I can’t face!!”   
She rallied the last of her energy to bash more strikes at the dummy until her weapon broke, and she straightened up to scream out her frustration at the top of her lungs.   
That was the opening he’d been looking for, he flung himself towards her and locked her in a tight embrace, not letting go as she started to struggle.  
“It’s okay, it’s okay! I’m here… it’s me. I won’t let you go… easy now, easy.” He kept up the soothing words until they had their effect. Eventually she stopped the struggling and gradually fell into sobbing instead, leaning her head towards his shoulder. He didn’t loosen his grip.  
“What was the point?...” she sniffled, “what was the point in finding you if I can’t save him? Was there a point at all?” she asked in despair.  
“Of course there was… and a most valid one” Mikey whispered and held her at arms length to make her look him in the eye.  
“You found us… to meet your second family.” He smiled gently at her and used one of his thumbs to dry her tears that ran down her cheeks. She was gasping for air as she sobbed heavily, but she didn’t break eye contact.  
“So when the bad thing does happen… you won’t be alone.”  
New tears took form, and she collapsed in his hug. He made it tighter than ever, and sat himself down on the floor with her as her legs gave away. For a very long time he just let her cry it out while he held her and whispered soothing words.  
At some point her tears receded, and she went quiet. Mikey loosened his grip somewhat to take a look at her. When he did she instantly slid down on the floor to lie on her side in a fetal position. Her face was almost apathetic as she stared right past him.  
“Are you okay Ve?” he asked.  
“No…”  
“Can you move?”  
“No…”  
“Alright,.. be back in a sec.”  
He sprinted for the kitchen and fetched Ice Cream Kitty from the freezer. The bewildered cat looked puzzledly at him as he set her down next to Venus in a cooling bag.  
“Keep her company, do not leave her side” he instructed with a wiggling finger, and his pet made a loyal salute before he sprinted off again. As he went back and forth to gather more things Ice Cream Kitty did her part, nudging Venus with her sticky nose and licking her hand at intervals.   
First Mikey grabbed all the blankets he could find and laid them on top of her before he tucked her in as much as he could. Then he ran to his room and grabbed a massive pile of comic books, making sure he got all of her favorites. Since he suspected he wouldn’t leave the dojo anytime soon, he made a final trip to the kitchen to bring a bunch of snacks.  
Finally he settled down next to Venus who still hadn’t made a move. Ice Cream Kitty gave him a questioning look.  
“She’ll be okay, we just need to give her time”, he said reassuringly and gave her an affectionate pat on the head.   
He began to read out loud to Venus from the comic books, starting with her favorites. Sometimes he asked her questions what she thought about the adventures, and eventually she made short responses. Sometimes she cut him off to speak of other things that came to her mind, and then they talked, but mostly he listened. At some point she crawled nearer to lay her head in his lap before a new set of silent tears fell. He let them, and placed an arm over her shell before he resumed his reading. They remained like that for the entire evening, until he fell asleep with his back against the tree.

Leo sat in the kitchen with a cup of tea in his hands. The faint light coming in from other rooms made his surroundings dim, but he hadn’t bothered to turn on the lights in the ceiling. After all, it was probably early night.   
Everything was quiet, except for the scarcely audible clinks the cup made against the tabletop every time he took a sip. He didn’t really notice the taste though, because thoughts from the day mulled over in his head.   
After Mikey had gone in to Venus, Donnie had come home, but Sensei had remained with Mr Hayashi to keep him company as long as he wished for. The turtle in purple had slumped down on the couch and told Raph and Leo everything, about the tests, his suspicions, the results and their meaning. He’d spoken in rather scientific terms, but the implications had been clear.  
It had soon become evident to both Leo and Raph that Donnie was a mess, being Death’s messenger had left him wrecked. Even after Donnie had told them everything, the words had continued to come pouring out of him like a flood, and the only thing that had stopped them was when Raph had put his arm around his shoulders and leaned his head towards his own, at least for a while. They had done their best to help battle the guilt that threatened to drown him. Even though he knew that the disease wasn’t his fault, the smart one wasn’t used to be defeated by science, and he’d taken it as a personal failure.  
They had sat with their brother while Mikey had run back and forth around the lair to fetch stuff to the dojo, doing his thing. Hours later Leo had coaxed his drained brother into going to bed, Raph had called it a night not long after.  
But Leo had stayed up, and here he was, sitting in the dull light by himself. He wasn’t quite sure what kept him up, perhaps a sense of duty, but most likely a mix of many things.  
Suddenly a faint sound caught his attention. He looked up and saw a quiet Venus enter the room on unsteady feet, she looked tired. She made a halt when she noticed his presence.  
“Hi”, he said.  
“Hi...”   
Their eyes met for the briefest moment before she looked away again. An impulse wanted him to get up and hold her, but he refrained.  
“How do you feel?”  
“Drained”, she said with an empty voice.  
Eventually, Venus slowly wandered further into the kitchen to slump down on a seat. Her stare was directed on the tabletop.   
A minute passed, then two, but she didn’t move.  
“Where’s Mikey?”, he asked, just to break the silence.  
“Asleep... I didn’t want to wake him up. I… I know I need to go home and… talk to father. I just thought I should try and eat something first.”   
A short pause.   
“But I guess I’ve got no appetite”, she said and just continued to stare blankly in front of her.   
Leo got up to pour another cup and gently put it in front of her.  
“Then try to drink something, this is supposed to have a calming effect.” She accepted it and slowly clasped both her hands around the cup. She didn’t take it to her lips, but she inhaled the steam rising from the hot water. Leo went back to his seat.  
“Thanks Leo”, she said sincerely. He shrugged his shoulders.  
“It’s just a cup of tea.”  
“No… I mean... Thanks for Mikey.” He gave her a wondering look, so she explained.  
“We talked a little in the dojo, and he revealed that it was you who called him and told him to come home for me.” For the first time she met his gaze to underline the importance of what she had said. Even in the dim light those grey marbles had an effect on him that made his insides glow.   
Venus continued:  
“It’s amazing really… at a time when I had absolutely no idea what to do with myself, you knew exactly what I needed, and I really needed my little brother.”  
“Brother?” he asked in surprise.  
“Yeah... I know”, she chuckled, “It’s silly, right? But that’s how I see him. He’s just what I’ve always imagined a little brother would be like.” He saw the hint of a smile as flashes of good memories seemed to pass her mind before she turned more serious again.  
“If you don’t like it, I…”  
“No, no of course I don’t mind”, he quickly reassured her, and she managed another little smile.  
“I should get home.” Venus scrambled to her feet, taking the cup with her and placed it in the sink behind him.  
“Anyway…” she began, “...thanks again”, she said in a low voice and quickly bent down to place a soft kiss on his cheek.   
Caught off his guard it made Leo’s inside explode, and he desperately stifled the gasp while he prayed that his hands wouldn’t crush the cup that he was clasping.  
“You’re welcome…” he mumbled into the darkness, but she had already left.


	21. A talk between Leo and April

April was out the school doors as soon as the bell rang. She slung her backpack onto her shoulder and headed down the sidewalk at a brisk pace, enjoying the fresh air and the sun in her face. She had decided to go straight to the lair to hang with the guys before practise with Sensei, and sent a text to her Dad to let him know were she was. On her way to the manhole in a narrow alley that she used to climb down, she went into a mini-store to buy a yogurt to take with her. Even though she was welcome to roam for a snack in the turtles’ kitchen, you never knew whether you’d actually find something good or left-over pizza slices with odd toppings, again...  
Once April had paid the cashier she stuffed the yogurt between her Biology and History books and continued down the road that lead to the alley. She casually hung at the corner pretending to read a text while she waited for a middle-aged couple to pass, making sure the coast was clear before she sprinted into it and dived down the manhole as quickly as she could. From there it was just a 20-min walk before she heard familiar sounds coming from the lair.  
The first thing she saw was Mikey who sat two feet from the TV, watching his favorite episode of Crognard the Barbarian. A stream of involuntary giggles emanated from the orange-clad turtle at close intervals, making her giggle in turn and shake her head. Behind him she saw Raph at the pinball-machine with Chompy sitting on his shell. Chompy was playfully snapping at his cheek, causing Raph to lose the game, but it didn’t upset him. Nothing Chompy did could ever upset the hot head, he merely gave the alien turtle an affectionate cuddle before he hit the ball again.  
“Hi guys!” she greeted.  
“Hey” they both chanted back.  
“Hi April!”, came a familiar voice from behind her, it was Donnie.  
“How was your monster Biology test? Did all the studying pay off?”  
“Hope so, at least I think I passed, but I’ve no idea whether it earned me any higher grade. I’m just glad it’s over so I don’t have to skip any more sessions with you guys.”  
“Yeah, I’ve missed…, I mean, we’ve missed having you around.” He blushed.  
“Wanna see some of my new inventions I’ve been working on?”  
“Sure, in a minute, I’m just gonna eat something first.” She trotted over to the kitchen and found Leo sitting by the table.  
“Hey Leo”, she said while she opened the kitchen drawers looking for a spoon.  
“Hey April... “ he replied in a rather sombre tone. She cast him a glance.  
“Something wrong Leo? You seem a bit low.”  
“Nah, nothing special. I’m just having a bad day” he said as he lowered his head onto his crossed arms on the table.  
“Bad day? It’s turning into a bad week if you ask me”, Raph commented as he entered the kitchen to grab a drink.  
“And you’re not helping”, Leo retorted in a rather sour voice as he shot his brother a fierce look. Raph merely snorted before he turned on his heel and walked out, only stopping to get a jar of rocks for Chompy who was still balancing on his shell.  
April took a seat when she found a spoon and dug out the small container from her backpack. She carefully studied Leo out of the corner of her eye while she popped the lid and took the first spoonful. She wasn’t a stranger to his and Raph’s quarrels, but it was out of character for Leo to lash out like that unless Raph pressed him quite hard first...   
Her thoughts were interrupted when Venus came in. As soon as the girls saw each other they shone up in big smiles and met halfway to lock each other into a tight hug that lasted longer than usual. April hadn’t seen or talked to her since after she learnt about Mr Hayashi’s condition. She had only sent her friend a text saying how sorry she was and that she could call anytime she wanted.  
Eventually they broke the hug, but April still held onto her hands, and Venus let her.  
“How are you doing?” she asked with concern in her voice.  
“We’re okay, as much as we can be... all things considered”, the braided turtle responded in a low voice. She had to make a short pause before she continued.  
“When I got back home that night we had a very long talk. It was hard, and there was a lot of tears on both parts, but most of it got out. Now we try to take a day at a time, we’ve also decided to keep life as normal as possible for as long as we can.”  
“And your training with Sensei? Have you called it off?”  
“Actually, no. That was my idea at first too, but father persuaded me to go through with it. He knew how much I’ve looked forward to it and saw no reason to cancel. It’ll be good for my progress, and there will still be plenty of time for us when I come back before…” she trailed off. April squeezed her hands in comfort, which earned her a faint smile from Venus. She had accepted what was to come, but of course it hurt to think about. She let go of April’s hands and busied herself with looking around in the cupboards for something.  
“We’re leaving in four days, and I want to get as much training as I can before we go. I’m was about to hit the dojo with Raph, I just thought I’d come in here to try and find some of those cereal bars I saw yesterday.”  
April took her seat again and took another spoon of yogurt.  
“You mean those with honey and oats they have sometime?”  
“That’s the ones, I was sure they should be in here…”  
“It’s no use, Mikey has already found them and cleared the package this morning”, Leo explained. Venus rose and almost pouted with her mouth in disappointment.  
“Unless someone was one step ahead of him and stored a couple of bars on the top shelf in case somebody else wanted one”, he winked at her. Venus’ frown turned into a grin before she skipped to the other end and found what she was looking for, Leo returned her smile.  
“Thanks Leo”, she said on her way out. As she passed him they did a high three and clasped hands for a fraction of a second.   
“Anytime”, he responded as he let go.  
“See you later, April”, she said wheeling around in the door frame before she was entirely out of the kitchen.  
“Later”, she waved back.  
Leo sank back into his previous position and sighed, staring blankly ahead of him. April watched him for several minutes while she slowly ate her snack, licking the spoon clean each time before she dipped it again as her thoughts mulled over in her head. She decided to go for a long shot.  
“You know, if I didn’t know any better I’d say you are in love with someone”, she said tentatively. Leo made an irritated frown.  
“Is that so?” His tone matched his face, but that didn’t scare her off.  
“And if I had to make a guess, I’d say it was with Venus.”   
Leo snorted, but he wasn’t quick enough to conceal the smile that crept up before he composed his features into another frown. April’s mouth fell open, and she dropped her spoon in shock.  
“Oh my God, you are!”  
“What?” Leo jerked his head up, eyes wide.   
“You’re in love with Venus!” April got up in excitement.  
“No I’m not!” he denied, but the panic in his voice and the further widening of his eyes couldn’t have given her better proof. She could hardly contain her enthusiasm.  
“Yes, you are, it’s so obvious!”, she said gasping and waving her arms, “How long have you been? Does anybody know? Will you…”  
She was abruptly cut off when a hand suddenly clasped tightly over her mouth. Leo had moved so fast she hadn’t seen him lunge forward. The force and speed of his movement had pushed her backwards, and she widened her eyes in surprise as she found herself pressed between the sink and a frantic turtle who was standing very close with an alarmed stare, his face only inches apart from hers as he spoke rapidly with muffled words.  
“Here’s a thought; you keep your voice down so it doesn’t carry all over the lair... And if you can be VERY discreet about your guesses, I promise to tell you everything you want to know as long as you promise me you won’t repeat anything of what I say to ANYONE. Deal?”   
April was still off balance because of his unexpected outburst, and her mind was trying to process what he’d said when they heard Donnie’s footsteps coming towards them from the living area. He seemed to pause for a second to shout something not quite audible to Mikey who probably had retreated to his room. Leo gave her upper arm a squeeze, desperately seeking her affirmation to his suggestion before his brother came in. April narrowed her eyes in a smile, despite their positions she clearly was the one who had the upper hand, but she decided to be nice and gave him a slight nod.  
Leo let go of her and hurriedly went back to his seat the second Donnie took a step inside the kitchen. She was sure he hadn’t really seen anything, but he had picked up on something since he stopped dead in his tracks, viewing them both suspiciously.  
“What are you doing?” he asked.  
“Nothing, just talking”, Leo said as casually as he could manage. Donnie looked questiongly at April, not seeing the anxious face Leo made behind his back, but she just gave him a sweet smile before she too went back to her seat.  
“Yeah, we’re discussing training, mostly tactics. Leo’s giving me a few valuable tips”, she said sweetly and picked up her spoon again to finish what was left in the plastic container. Leo let out an inaudible breath in relief, and the worst tension left his shoulders.  
“We’ll probably be here for about half an hour, and then I can come to your lab to look at those new inventions?” she said to Donnie, who still didn’t look entirely convinced when he looked back and forth between the two.  
“Yeah, sure… See you later then.” He hesitated before he turned around, clearly thinking he was missing something, but when no new clues presented themselves he gave up and headed towards his lab.  
Leo lowered his face to hide it in his arms and drew a deep breath. He didn’t look up at April who smiled smugly while she carefully scraped all the edges to gather the last mouthful. That done, she pushed the spoon and the empty yogurt container out of the way and braided her fingers in front of her in a business-like manner.   
“So…?”   
“So, what?” Leo gruffed without looking up.  
“Start talking”, she said in an excited tone, loving every second of it.  
“You have to be more specific than that.” He shot her a sour look before he hid his face again. April had seen his blushing, she giggled and settled for an easy first question.  
“What do you like about her?” He squirmed, clearly not comfortable with the situation, but April pressed on.  
“Leo, come on”, she urged. He shrunk even further down on his seat in defeat and tilted his head, laying it on the side on his folded arms before he spoke.  
“Fine, I like her humor, her spirit, her inner strength and her loyalty. I like that she gets along with all of my family, and I admire that she wants to improve and is willing to work hard for it. It also feels like we have a lot in common, even without the Ninjutsu, it’s so easy to talk to her...” As he spoke he got a dreamy look on his face, which April found adorable.  
“Wow, you really like her”, she teased him.  
“Shut up”, he said and refused to look at her, but he couldn’t stop his own smile from spreading.  
“But I thought you had a crush on Karai?”  
The question caught him completely off guard and made him sit up.  
“Wha… well… yeah maybe I had. But that was like…” he hesitated.  
“Like what?”  
“I don’t know”, he said throwing his hands up in the air, “like, comparing a candle to the sun?…” April leaned her elbows on the table, and her head in her hands while she looked down on him.   
“O.M.G. That is so cute and so cheesy at the same time”, she said, and it made him look away.   
“I know how it sounds, I’m just trying to explain the difference.”  
“So you don’t like her anymore?” she questioned. Leo had to think for a while before he could give himself a satisfying reply.  
“I’ll probably always care a lot about Karai, she is Sensei’s daughter. But I guess I lost interest on the way, and now all that remains is a sense of brotherly duty towards her. Besides, she’s very different from Venus. Even though it’s amazing Karai didn’t turn out worse after being raised by Shredder, her moral compass doesn’t always point in a straight direction, and she will never have the same pure heart Venus has, despite all that she has gone through.” April deemed it to be a very accurate observation.  
“What about looks? Doesn’t Karai win there? Even I can see what boys see in her”, April teased him. Leo gave her a side shot glance and started to stutter.  
“Sure, Karai looks hot, but V-Venus… to me, s-she is… is…” he faltered, waving his hands to grasp for the right word.  
“What? Is what?”  
“Beautiful…”  
That single word made her jaw drop, and then she squealed loudly, not able to contain herself.  
“Aww, that’s so CUTE!!”   
Leo blushed more than ever and went back to hiding his face in his arms.  
“April, you’re killing me!”  
“And I’m loving every second of it! Okay, okay…” she calmed down a bit before she hit him with her next question.  
“How long have you had feelings for her?”  
Leo straightened himself slowly.   
“It’s hard to say. She’s been growing on me every day, but I couldn’t suppress it anymore after she got hurt.” A dark shadow laid itself heavily upon him and made him grow quiet. April slowly leaned forward to gently put a comforting hand on top of his. The incident had been tough for all of them, but she knew he still hadn’t been able to let go of his guilt entirely. Her next words came out softly.  
“I can see that your feelings towards her are genuine, but I don’t understand why you tried to suppress them. Why haven’t you told her yet about how you feel? I’m sure…”  
“Are you crazy? I can never do that!” he said with some force. It confused April.  
“Why not?”  
“Don’t you see? Venus is the only female turtle, and we are four turtle brothers. What if we start fighting over her?”  
“What makes you think it will come to that? The others don’t see her like that.”  
“How can you be sure?”  
“Easy, Raph’s in love with Mona Lisa, Donnie is, well, you know… In Mikey’s case, hasn’t he got a thing for Renet that you’ve told me about? Besides, if they liked each other that way it would’ve happened by now.”  
“There’s no guarantee none of that will change, ‘cause who knows if they’ll ever get to see them again?” he said stubbornly.  
“Come on, Leo. What’s the worst thing that can happen?”  
Leo slapped both of his hands on the table top, making her jump a little, and looked her sternly in the eye before he explained.  
“Sensei and Shredder grew up together. They were raised like brothers, and see what happened to them. They fell in love with the same woman; she got killed, Sensei lost his daughter, and we’re at war with each other. Don’t you understand? I love my brothers, and I would rather die than let that happen to us.”   
April straightened up, a little taken aback from what he’d said. He had obviously given this quite some thought already, which made her choose her words carefully.  
“I know the story, but, from all that Sensei has ever told me about his past, he has never spoken of Shredder in a way that even resembles the relationship that you have with Raph, Donnie and Mikey.”  
“Which means that when one of them realises how wonderful Venus is, the fall out will be that much harder.”  
“There won’t be one, I’m sure they will be happy for you”, she argued, but Leo shook his head in a definite manner.  
“I can’t risk it, I won’t.”   
April made a sigh and threw up her hands. “So what are you going to do?”  
“Nothing”, he hung his head. “Wait until it passes, I guess.”   
“But what if it doesn’t?” she whispered.  
“It will… eventually…” he said miserably.  
Leo got up and left the room without looking at her. April remained were she was, watching his slumped figure, unable to console him.


	22. Gentle probing

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> April and Venus hang out before she's leaving with Sensei for training. During their conversation interesting topics come up, thanks to April's probing. She decides to make further inquiries and presents her results to Leo.

April took the steps two at a time on her way up to the attic apartment. Despite her improved stamina, thanks to all the Ninjutsu-training, her breathing was slightly strained due to the unusually heavy backpack. She didn’t mind the extra effort though, and once outside the door it only took seconds after she’d knocked until she heard soft footsteps approach on the other side and briefly identifying her through the peephole before opening it to let her in. April quickly went inside and closed the door before she gave her turtle friend a mutually warm hug.  
It was only three days left until Venus was going on her solo training with Sensei for three weeks, and the girls wanted to spend more time together before the prolonged goodbye. When they broke apart April saw her friend’s father come into the hall.  
“Hi Mr Hayashi”, she greeted.  
“Hello April, how good to see you again.”  
“You too. How are you feeling?”  
“Very good, thank you. Today is one of the good days”, he replied with a gentle smile.  
“I’m glad to hear it. I’ve brought some of the titles you’ve asked for.” She lowered her heavy backpack onto the floor to roam inside it and pulled out four classics from the library, including Hemingway and Wilde. The big hamster accepted them and stroked the covers in reverence.   
“You are very kind to lend these to me, having access to books is not a privilege that I’m used to”, he said fondly with a hint of a bow. April shone up at the comment.  
“I’m happy to be able to help, just let me know when you’ve read them and I’ll bring you other works from your wish list.”  
“I certainly will”, he responded with a nod before the girls shuffled into Venus’ room, only pausing when Venus reached up to give her father a kiss on the cheek.  
Once inside the bedroom Venus faced her with an eager expression.  
“And what about me?” she asked expectantly. April rolled her eyes before she handed over her backpack. Venus took it and dived right into it, pulling out a variety of April’s school books, along with some other books from the library more suited to her interests. She inspected the fiction with curiosity, but set them aside as she used to in favor of the History book. The turtle sat down on her bed and flicked through it before she found the page where she’d finished last time and began to read.  
April shook her head in slight amusement. Ever since they started to hang out Venus had taken a great interest in her school books. It was amazing to see someone that intrigued by something that April herself regarded as nothing but dull. But Venus seemed to hunger for knowledge. She’d had a basic education from Mr Hayashi at their old home, but it could not compete with what April learned at school. Her main love was for the Social Sciences, but she also swallowed all that had to do with Biology, Chemistry and Physics. The Math books didn’t make much sense to her, since it required some experience and practice, but occasionally she dug into the Anthology of American Poetry.  
Since her friend was already lost in a chapter on World War II, April resorted to the old, stuffed armchair across the floor and dug out a teen magazine, knowing that Venus would be engulfed for about half an hour. Between the moderate articles she had time to study the room they were in. It didn’t contain anything special, but in the short time they’d been living here Venus had managed to make her own personal mark on it.   
The bedroom wasn’t big, and the slanted ceiling gave it the impression to be even smaller, yet cozy. The bed was standard size without headboards, but instead it was covered in pillows of different shapes and colors. Opposite the bed was the only dormer window, with heavy curtains and half closed blinds, the window sill held three small green plants without flowers in white pots. Next to the window was the old armchair that April was sitting in, barely fitting in the corner of the room due to its size. The third corner contained a small and worn side table, covered with tiny treasures that Venus had found on her patrols in the city. They varied from smooth rocks, bracelets made of plastic beads, pins and other trinkets. But most important were probably the speakers Donnie had found her, where she could plug in her T-phone and listen to music. Next to the bed was a neat pile of comic books, with compliments from Mikey, no doubt. The wall next to the door was probably what was most striking about the room. Venus had covered it as best as she could with posters and pictures from magazines of nature in all its forms. There were images of magnificent trees, woods, waterfalls, creeks and mountains. They were arranged in a way that almost gave the impression that you were looking at a coherent view. Beautiful as it was, it couldn’t quite compete with the small photographs fastened to the bedroom door. It was a growing collection with pictures of the other turtles, Venus’ aunt and father, and April herself. Venus was in many of them, smiling at the camera when hugging her friends and family in different poses. The sight brought April a sense of warmth every time.  
She ripped out one of the crappier articles from the magazine and crumbled it in her hand.  
“Are you done yet?” she asked as she playfully threw the paper at Venus, who caught it in one hand before it hit her face without looking up from the textbook. April had forgotten about her excellent reflexes, but she could see the smile creeping up in the other’s features.  
“Just a few more pages”, she begged, but laughed when April threw the entire magazine at her.  
“Jeez, Venus. I promise I’ll leave all of the books here for the weekend when I go, then you can read through the night if you want. You’re not on patrol, are you?”  
“No, I was last night”, she said, and finally closed the book after bookmarking it with a scrap of paper for later. She then turned fully towards April.  
“So, any new leads on the teacher romance?” she asked with a grin which April returned. She was referring to the gossip about two middle-aged teachers who the students suspected had started dating each other.  
“We think so, Mr Anderson was wearing a jacket today which he usually never does, and he had made an attempt to tame his unruly hair… Ms Jenkins seemed to have made an effort as well, she was wearing perfume and had put a lipstick on! I saw them bump into each other during recess, and it made Mr Anderson stutter with nervousness.”   
The girls giggled at the mental image and continued to talk about the drama at high school. April displayed the main conflicts between the cheerleaders and the counterparts among the jocks. Venus always shook her head at this since she couldn’t grasp what was so important about being popular that made you do the things that they did.  
They were suddenly interrupted by Venus’ buzzing T-phone. When she reached for it and saw who the caller was she made a tired sigh before she answered the call.  
“Hey Raph, what’s up?” She tried to maintain a light tone, but didn’t seem surprised when the turtle at the other end started to gruff loudly enough for April to hear it.  
“What are you talking about?... Yes they did, what about it?.... No…. No, it wasn’t that bad at all, I handled it alright?...” The gruffing continued, which made her roll her eyes and get up in irritation. She waved her arms as she spoke.  
“It was for a split second Raph, he never really had me…. No, I broke free when I broke his nose! And it was I who had to come to Donnie’s aid,... Stop fussing over me, I know how to take care of myself!... Yeah, whatever, see ya later.” She hung up and threw herself down on the bed and put a pillow over her head to calm down, making frustrated noises in the process. April arched one of her eyebrows.  
“What in the world was that about?” she asked.  
“Nothing, just Raph being overprotective and treating me like an incompetent child.” Her words came out muffled under the pillow before she sighed, and sat up to give a further explanation.  
“I was on patrol with Donnie last night, and we stopped a gang of Purple Dragons from breaking into a shop. During the fight one of them, whom none of us had noticed before, tried to strangle me from behind with a wire. I managed to break free immediately and help Donnie fend off the rest before they fled. Raph must have wiggled it out of Donnie and assumed the worst...argh!” She got up again to pace off some of her frustration, even though she could only take three steps before she had to turn back.  
“It’s really annoying. Ever since Tigerclaw it feels like he’s looming over me to make sure I’m okay, that I’m not hurt or over exerting myself. He actually scolds the others during training if they land a hit on me, like I’m made of freaking porcelain! Now he threatened to join me on every patrol if I don’t learn how to be more careful, can you believe it?!” she asked rhetorically in a higher pitch than usual.   
Despite her friends irritation, April couldn’t help her giggles. Suddenly she had an idea.  
“He sounds like an overprotective big brother”, she said casually. Now it was Venus’ turn to chuckle.  
“You’re right, he’s the spitting image of a big brother, who thinks that his baby sister needs his muscles to take care of every possible threat. Plus, he’s got all the provoking traits of a brother as well…”  
They both laughed, knowing well that Raph probably thought the same about her. Of all the turtles, she was the one who never backed out of an argument simply because he was bigger than her. It often happened that Raph gave up immediately since there was a good chance that her witty tongue would outsmart him, and he didn’t like it.  
April took some calming breaths to stop the fits of laughter before she continued.  
“In that case, Mikey has to be the little brother?”  
“Definitely, the energetic, nosy, and provoking little brother.” More chuckling from both parts.  
“Then where would you put Donnie?” Venus made a thoughtful frown.  
“I would probably say he’s my smart twin. Despite having different hobbies, it sometimes feels like we can read each other's’ minds. But he got all the brains and I’m there to remind him of his connection to earth.” April smiled at the simile.  
“He sure needs that every now and then…” she commented. Her heart rate increased a little before she went on. “And where does that leave Leo?”  
Venus went deeply lost in thought for several seconds.  
“I don’t know…” she said in confusion.  
“What d’you mean? Don’t you care for him like you care for the others?” April probed.  
“Of course I do! He means the world to me”, she exclaimed with force while looking up at April before she went back to her confused blank stare. “It’s just… I guess I’ve never thought of him as a brother…”  
‘Oh really?’ April thought smugly to herself. She hid her smile behind her hand, but Venus didn’t notice since she was stuck in her thoughts. It gave her opportunity to thoroughly study her friends features, and a plan began to take form.  
“Oh my God, I’ve totally forgotten!” she suddenly exclaimed and got up from the armchair, making Venus jerk up from her contemplations.  
“What?” she asked.  
“I have to get home and turn in that assignment on my computer before 6 p.m. or my teacher’s gonna kill me on Monday! I’m sorry Venus, but I’ll see you later at the lair, okay?”  
“Sure, see you later…”   
April dived out of the room and shouted a hasty goodbye to Mr Hayashi before she ran down the stairs to street level. She had to talk to Raph...

Leo was bored. Mikey and Raph were on an early patrol, Venus was at home spending time with her father before she would go on her solo training tomorrow, and Don had emerged himself in his work in his lab. He restlessly wandered around the lair and decided that he might as well spend some minutes to clean up the worst mess in the living area after the movie night last night with Venus and the guys. She and Sensei would leave very early in the morning, so they had gathered to say their goodbyes and well wishes at the time.   
He grabbed all the trash he could hold and stuffed it in a plastic bag, he swiftly sweeped the floor to gather crumbs from chips and popcorn before he stacked the plates and glasses and went out to the kitchen. Leo thought about doing the dishes, but settled for leaving it in the sink for now. He was bored, but not that bored.  
He was on his way out to his room when April barged in. Her mouth widened in a smile at the sight of him.  
“Just the turtle I was looking for”, she said with a smirk. She turned around and looked around the lair, as if checking that no one else was there.  
“What are you up to?” he asked with an arched eyebrow, but that was the only sentence he got to finish. Satisfied with the empty surroundings she wheeled around to face him with such eagerness it made him back up a couple of steps.  
“Venus is in love with you too!”  
The statement made Leo’s brain stop functioning all together. He stood there, completely dumbstruck for several seconds before he could even attempt to form words.  
“How do you…”  
“She sees Donnie, Mikey and Raph as her brothers, but with you it’s different. It’s painfully obvious that she has feelings for you! But something’s holding her back, perhaps she thinks she can’t have you for some reason, but most likely she doesn’t realise it herself...” she trailed off looking concentrated, as if mauling over a memory again.  
She had spoken intensely and rapidly, which didn’t help Leo’s lack of coherent thoughts. It took him a while before he shook his head, still denying the possibility.  
“The others…” he began, but was cut off again.  
“Oh, will you stop worrying about the others? They see her as a sister as well. Raph finds the idea of them together ridiculous, he could never be interested in a woman that much smaller and weaker than him, even if he never gets to see Mona again. Donnie never thinks of her in that way either. The fact that they both are turtles makes him see her as kin, but not as a possible lover. Mikey was actually disgusted at the thought, declaring how weird it would be to be with his own sister like that.”  
“How do you know....”  
“Easy, I asked them.”  
“You did what!?!...” he shouted out in panic.  
“Not directly of course”, she casually waved off his concerns. “Don’t worry! I’m really stealthy at this stuff, they’ll never get what I was aiming for. Well, perhaps Mikey suspects something, he seems to have a flair for these kind of things too…” she added casually with a shrug.  
“April!!” He grabbed his head in disbelief.  
“The point is...”, she effectively silenced his protests with a finger in the air, then jabbed it hard on his plastron as she continued. “...YOU, should stop being such a miserable moron and do something about it!”   
He opened his mouth to speak, but nothing came out. Her words rang loudly in his ears as they slowly sank in, making it hard to swallow.   
Satisfied that her point had come across, April gave him a grin and two brisk pats on the shoulder.  
“I’m gonna hang with Donnie in the lab, good luck!” she chirped as she turned around and left him there, with a racing heart.


	23. Farewell

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Venus sais goodbye to her father and Leo before going away on training with Sensei.

Venus woke at the first signal on her alarm and quickly shut it off, she didn’t like the sharp sound disturbing the peace that early in the morning. She rose and hurriedly made her bed before she threw all the pillows in a sloppy heap at the head end. She double-checked her already packed bag by the door, then turned off the lights after having taken a final look at her bedroom. She wouldn’t be here for the next three weeks, but it felt okay, she had taken the most important pictures to go with her.  
It would be a lot harder to leave her father for that long, and she made a point of giving him an extra long hug when she greeted him in the kitchen before they sat down to have a serene, early breakfast together. They talked about her expectations, and Taka mentioned several times how proud he was of her. The last time he reached over the table and gripped her hand with a smile on his face. Venus returned it, but transformed it into a concerned look.  
“Are you sure you’ll be alright on your own?” she inquired for the tenth time.  
“Of course I will, stop fussing over me”, he scolded her playfully. “I’m not disabled, and to be honest, ever since you started training with the Hamatos you haven’t been at home overly much…” he winked at her, making Venus look down in amused embarrassment.  
“Besides, you know I won’t be alone. Your aunt will look after me, as will Donnie and probably April. No, as far as my wellbeing is concerned, you have nothing to worry about.”   
He rose from his chair to clear the table, and Venus helped him. It was only a couple of minutes work, and soon she stood in the hall, looking for an excuse to linger just a little. Taka noticed and embraced her.  
“What’s wrong my daughter?”, he asked softly. She sniffled a little.  
“It’s just that… I’ve never been away from you that long.”  
“And I’ve never been away that long from you either. At least you’ll be the one fully occupied while you’re away”, he said consolingly. She wiped the tears from the corners of her eyes, but she couldn’t smooth out the stabbing sensation in her chest.  
“I won’t even be able to call you, Sensei won’t allow any contact with anyone during our training”, she said, and her father cupped his hand under her chin.  
“It will be hard, but we’ll manage”, he said with a brave smile. Venus returned it and gave him another long hug before she said goodbye, took a deep breath and headed back to her bedroom. She didn’t bother to turn on the lights again as she grabbed her bag and crossed the room to crawl out the window.   
The trip down to the sewers went as smoothly as usual. She started to trot on her way to the lair, as her nervousness began to build. After all, she really didn’t know what she was getting into.  
When Venus arrived at the lair it was quiet. All of the guys were asleep at this hour, and she was a little early before the set time with Sensei. She knew better than to go into his room, so she headed for the kitchen to make herself a cup of tea and wait for him.   
At the threshold she got a pleasant surprise. Leo was already there, smiling at the sight of her with two steaming cups at the ready. Her heart felt lighter as all her sadness and nervousness melted away.  
“Leo!” she exclaimed, and crossed the floor to give him a tight hug.   
“Hi Ve”, he said softly before they let go.   
“What in the world are you doing up? It’s very early even for you”, she said with a grin as she accepted the offered mug and sat down next to him. Leo shrugged his shoulders.  
“An hour more or less doesn’t mean much when I know this is the last morning we’ll share for a while.”  
“And I appreciate it, thank you. The tension has been building up since last night, I think it’s finally dawned on me what I’m about to get into.” Leo chuckled.  
“Do you know where he’s taking you?”  
“Not a clue, and I guess he hasn’t said anything to you either?”  
“Not a single word. I suspect it’s part of your training.”  
“You’re probably right.”   
She paused and took some sips from her cup. She could feel Leo’s examining eyes on her.  
“Are you nervous?” he asked. He knew her too well...  
“More and more by the hour. I’ve always been willing to work hard to achieve a goal, but what if Mikey’s right? What if it’s too hard and I can’t complete it?”  
“Actually, that’s another reason why I wanted to see you before you go”, he said and reached down to grab something on the floor. Venus curiously leaned over to get a better look. It was a small leather pouch that he slid across the table towards her.   
“I found it in a tunnel yesterday and thought you should have it. I’ve filed all the sharp edges so you won’t cut yourself”, he said.  
She gave him a confused look at the comment, but took the pouch and slowly opened it. The thing inside was wrapped in another protective layer of fabric, and when she removed the layer it revealed something hard and flat that almost had an elliptical shape, except it looked a little curved, as if the wind had ruffled it. The ends were slightly pointy, one more than the other. When inspecting it more closely she could see faint, delicate lines drawn on the dark surface, like nerves spreading outwards. She turned it over, and realised that it was a small piece of a mirror. Leo explained:  
“I know you’ll do great, but if you reach a point where you feel that you’re about to falter, I hope this will remind you of what you are.”  
Venus clenched her fist and pressed it to her mouth, but it didn’t help the lump that was building in her throat.   
“Did you shape it like a leaf on purpose?” she asked in a low voice, which was all she could manage. Leo looked away, suddenly shy.  
“It felt like it suited you…”   
She desperately wanted to voice her gratitude, but she failed. Instead she stood up to embrace him, and he was quick to mimic her action. They clasped their arms around each other, and Venus quickly hid her face in his neck to stop herself from sobbing, Leo helped by pressing her body hard against his, and leaned his own head down to hers. It was a warm, and comforting sensation. She could have stayed there forever.  
“I’ll miss you…”, she whispered.  
“I’ll miss you too”, he whispered back.  
This was just one of the wonderful things about Leo. She could afford to show him weakness, without being regarded as weak. Unlike Raph, Leo respected her skills, only stepping in to help if she stumbled in her fight, and always just enough to make her regain balance before he stepped out again. He also always knew what she needed to bring out the best in her. Despite all that he meant for her, Leo made her feel like an equal, like she contributed with something equally important to him.  
Eventually they broke apart, and Venus felt strengthened, but their hands lingered on each other’s underarms, like they weren’t ready to part just yet. Leo took a deep breath.  
“Venus… I…”  
“Are you ready Venus?” came suddenly Sensei’s voice from the living area. She instinctively turned around at the sound.  
“In a minute, Sensei!” she called back before she looked back up at Leo.  
“Sorry, you were saying?” she asked, but he looked away and shook his head once with a slight smile.  
“Never mind, you shouldn’t keep him waiting”, he said and motioned for her to go out. Venus hastily re-wrapped her precious mirror and stored it safely in her bag before he followed her.  
Sensei was dressed for travel and wore a backpack that was bigger than hers. He greeted them both with a nod before he turned to Leo.  
“Leonardo, you are in charge while I am away. Make sure you maintain your training, and look after your brothers.”  
“Hai, Sensei” he replied with a bow. Another nod from Master Splinter.  
“Then it is time”, he said directed towards Venus. She glanced towards Leo, who laid a hand on her shoulder and gently pushed her forward.  
“Go, and be amazing!” She smiled widely at him.  
“I will.”  
She followed Sensei into the tunnels. Before the lair went out of sight she spun around and raised her hand in farewell to the blue-clad turtle, who returned the gesture.


	24. A second skills test

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A joyful reunion, a thrilling sparring session, and fluff!

It was relatively quiet. No one was playing on the machines and the TV was shut off for once. With his eyes closed he could hear the lazy flicking of pages from Mikey’s comic book, and every now and then a sigh. It was an old edition that the youngest brother had read a million times before, and reading it while lying spread out upside down on the couch didn’t seem to add a new angle to it. He could also hear the soft thud from the throwing stars when they hit their mark on the dummy, always three seconds apart and then followed by the stomping from Raph’s feet as he went up to retrieve the stars before he found a new, trickier spot to practise his aim. Beside that, there was the muffled clanking from Donnie’s lab, but it was such a common noise in the lair that Leo regarded it as natural as the flowing sound of water in the tunnels.  
He opened his eyes and stared up at the skylight. He was lying almost at the top of the spiral made of boards hanging from the roof. It had been an unusually sunny day, and Leo had enjoyed the bright light flowing in from the ceiling about an hour ago. It had been so intense he’d felt the warmth come through too. But the day had slowly faded into a murky afternoon, and it was only the lack of tasks that had made him remain where he was.   
They had been alone for nineteen days, and the period had been uneventful with nothing out of the ordinary. His brothers had nagged at him for keeping up the training schedule, but had accepted it rather quickly since there were few things that made the hours go by during the days when they couldn’t go out. Patrols had been quiet too, which had made Raph edgy. Thankfully, Casey had been around more to keep him company, and they’d managed to stay out of trouble. Leo considered himself lucky.  
He jumped down, not able to lie still anymore. Usually he wasn’t the one to crave for some action, he was experienced enough to enjoy peace, but today he’d found it difficult to relax, like something was crawling under his skin. He casually ducked to avoid one of Raph’s throwing stars as he passed the dummy, and the broad shouldered turtle didn’t even flinch where he sat slouching on the couch, he merely continued to launch the shurikens at precise intervals.  
Mikey nudged his leg with a foot when he walked by.  
“Bro, you’ve got something new I can read?” he pleaded. Leo estimated the outcome of his answer before he gave it.  
“Look in the pile on my desk in my room, there might be something on the top. Please don’t touch anything else”, he added with a flat voice. Mikey rolled backwards down the couch before he jumped up, almost taking a hit in the arm as a star flew by. Raph still gave no sign of apology or worry despite that moving objects occasionally blocked his aim.  
Leo went into the dojo to work off some of his restlessness. His first thought had been to meditate, but discarded it almost immediately since he reckoned that physical activity would have a better effect on the prickling sensation.   
Five feet inside the dojo the feeling grew stronger, until it became almost tangible. He twitched involuntarily as he felt a point in his neck started to itch. Something wasn’t right. Instinct made him draw his katanas and spin around in a second. Leo wasn’t surprised to meet another blade, but he was not prepared for who it was at the other end of the slightly curved dagger. He came to a dead halt as Venus grinned widely at him.  
“I see you haven’t lost your intuition…” she winked at him.  
“Venus!” he exclaimed, and grabbed her around her shell to lift her up and spin her around, making her laugh out loud in surprise and joy. After a full circle he set her down, but kept his arms around her to hug her tight, and Venus responded with putting her arms around his neck to hug him back.  
“God, I’ve missed you…” he whispered into her neck. He could feel her cheeks pull into a smile.  
“I’ve missed you too…” she whispered back, it made him let out a content sigh.  
“Do you two need to get a room or something?”  
Leo jerked back as Venus turned her head towards Raph. The brother in red was wearing a smirk with his arms crossed in the doorway. How long had he been standing there?  
Venus didn’t hesitate, she strode across the floor towards the bigger turtle with a smirk of her own.  
“It’s good to see you too”, she said and extended her arms. Raph chuckled as he gave her a quick one-armed hug. Then he moved smoothly out of the way as they heard a galloping sound coming towards them from the living area.  
“Ve!!!” Something green and orange surged into the dojo and jumped onto Venus, making her topple backwards to the floor. She gave a shout of surprise before she cast her head back in laughter as someone clinged onto her.  
“You’re back!”  
“Hey Mikey”, she said as she sat up, wearing a smile from ear to ear. Raph grabbed her hand to help her up when the fourth turtle brother showed up.   
“I thought I heard some commotion in this direction”, Donnie grinned, making the gap between his front teeth show.  
“So you weren’t completely lost in your work?” Venus beamed, also giving him a one-armed hug.  
Leo joined the merry reunion as they all marvelled at how she had managed to sneak into the dojo without any of them noticing. Mikey was beside himself, unable to stand still as he jumped around them, making shrill comments. Leo almost expected him to wag his tail.  
“How have you been, sis? Was it tough?” the youngest turtle asked.  
“It wasn’t a holiday, I can assure you that. It was every bit as tough as I could’ve ever imagined” she said, but she still looked pleased. Leo took the opportunity to observe her more closely.   
There wasn’t really any difference he could put his finger on. She stood up straight, with her shoulders slightly back and her head held high, but then, she always had. Her mood was elated as she was talking and laughing with the guys with humor and a witty tongue, nothing unusual there either. Then he caught it, it was in her movements. They were more precise, yet casual, but somehow indicating full control. It made her look a lot more… confident.  
Donnie cut in between the stories of her training.  
“We didn’t expect you until another couple of days. What made you come back early?”  
“Because I was very satisfied with my student’s progress, deciding it would be interesting to put her through this final test of sneaking up on four fully trained ninjas”, Sensei replied behind them.  
“Sensei!” was the mutual cheer as four couple of arms tangled together around their father. He chuckled as he greeted them all, then he turned to Leo.  
“Have you maintained your training?”  
“Hai, Sensei.” The others nodded in assent.   
“Very good. I will allow you some time to enjoy the reunion before I want you back in the dojo. It is time for another skills test to assess your progress. I expect you all to prepare as you see fit, I will see you in two hours.”  
“Hai, Sensei”, they chanted together as they bowed their heads, and then their master went into his room.  
The group went out to the living area and continued their idle chatting about all that had happened since they’d last parted. Leo sat himself next to Venus on the couch. They didn’t touch, but he enjoyed every second of having her present again. The others seemed to agree. The sounds of friendly bickering, chuckling, out right laughing and enthusiastic storytelling filled the lair, along with the energy that she provided. That energy rubbed of on them all, making them bubble with life. When Leo didn’t talk himself, he secretly took in her smiles, the expressions she made, her voice, and all the little movements that constituted her. Venus was home again, and it made him feel more complete.  
After some time, Mikey rose and gave Venus a hopeful look.  
“You wanna play some video games? I’ve saved the new one until you got home”, he said expectantly. Venus stood up.  
“Sorry Mikey, but I better prepare for the session. It’s only a little more than an hour left.”  
“Wow, gone all serious have you?” Raph snided.  
“I have, you should try it sometime”, she said with a casual tone.  
“Now you sound like Leo”, he scolded back. Venus merely stuck her tongue out with a twinkle in her eye before she headed for the dojo.  
“In that case, I’m going back to the lab to clear my head with some work”, Donnie said. Mikey mouth-farted.  
“Boooring, I’ll clear my head with some awesome gaming.”  
“You don’t have to clear anything that’s already empty”, Raph said.  
“Hey!”  
Leo intervened by grabbing Mikey and led him towards his bedroom before he went into his own to meditate before the skills test. He had a feeling it would be a good idea to follow Sensei’s instructions, and he figured he needed all the focus he could gain with Venus there. He didn’t want to make a fool of himself. Before he sat down on the mat he set the alarm on his T-phone, it was easy to lose track of time when performing his breathing exercises.   
The minutes flew by and soon enough the phone started buzzing. He inhaled deeply one last time before he klicked it and rose to his feet. He was as ready as he could be.  
Leo was a few minutes early when he stepped into the dojo. None of his brothers had turned up yet, there was only Venus. She was sitting on the floor with one leg bent under her and the other halfway extended over the first. She was slightly bent forward in concentration as she drew something on her thigh with what looked like a black marker with a fine point. When he got closer, he could see that she was creating an intricate pattern of leaves that seemed to swirl up her leg in a continuous flow.  
“Looks good, something new that was a part of your training?” he asked curiously. She twinkled at his guess without looking up.  
“Not really. Sensei told me one evening of how some warriors used to paint signs on their bodies before a battle to give them strength or courage and such. I liked the idea, but didn’t bother to learn the signs, I figured the symbolism would be enough for me.” Leo sat down next to her.  
“So what does the leaves represent to you?”  
She glanced at him before she answered, which made him forget to breathe for a second. She had used eyeliner around her eyes. It matched the markings, and made her grey eyes stand out, giving the illusion of being wider and deeper. Her stare sucked him in and threatened to hold him hostage. Fortunately she refocused her gaze on her artwork.  
“They represent qualities I’ve tried to gain during my training: to be as firm as the roots holding a tree, but still as flexible as the leaves which sways in the wind.” It made him smile.  
“Have you thought of making it into a tattoo?” he asked, but she furrowed her brows.  
“Nah, I like when it slowly fades away. It means I can draw them on a new place next time, and in a different pattern, like a living tree that grows and changes. It feels more organic.” Leo couldn’t help but gaze at her.  
“I thought it was impossible for you to be more… you”, he said. It made her smile and shyly look away.  
Raph, Donnie and Mikey appeared at the same time. The hot head seemed to be in a good mood.   
“Right, let’s do this!” he said excitedly before he lined up with the others in a kneeling position. Shortly after Sensei appeared from his bedroom.  
“You will all spar against each other two at a time, and I expect you to perform at your best. For today’s session, you will use the blunt training weapons.”   
The last statement made most of them raise their eyebrows. Blunt training weapons only concerned Raph, Venus and Leo, as long as Donnie didn’t use his naginata or Mikey his kusarigama. The training weapons would still be made out of metal for the right weight and feel, but the edges would be broad enough that they wouldn’t penetrate the skin if hitting. Still, they were weapons that could leave considerable bruises. If Sensei wanted them to use blunt weapons, it meant he wanted them to go hard at each other. That seemed to suit Raph just fine, who was wearing a very satisfied smile.  
“Raphael, Donatello, you will go first.” The named turtles stepped forward and faced each other with their weapons at the ready. Raph wore a smirk, Donnie tried to hide his fear behind a determined expression.  
“Hajimer.”  
Raph wasted no time as he charged ahead. Donnie whirled his staff furiously to keep him at bay. Sai met bo staff in a rapid succession, and it was only a couple of minutes before the sparring ended with Raph throwing Donnie to the ground, pointing the tip of his sai to his neck to mark his victory.   
“Yamu”, Sensei called, and they both stood up to receive feedback.  
“Donatello, you can never win a fight that your mind already has decided that you’ve lost. You have too much respect for your opponent that you forget your own skills. And Raphael, your intensity is impressive, as is your confidence. Still, you should be wary when you face an opponent who isn’t as easily scared off.” They both bowed their heads before they went back to kneeling in line. Leo and Mikey was called next to spar, which Leo won. After that, Sensei called Venus and Raph.  
Raph bounced to his feet, making a point of stretching his neck before he wheeled around to face Venus, who had risen more serenely.  
“I hope your training’s paid of, cause I won’t go easy on you”, he said in a cocky tone. Venus gave him an arrogant stare before she casually looked back towards the others with a mocking voice.  
“Aw, that’s so cute. He thinks I need him to go easy on me.”   
Leo could see Raph’s nostrils flair from across the room. He thought this should be interesting, but he couldn’t not suppress the nervousness rumbling in his gut. He guessed he wasn’t the only one on edge since he could hear Mikey’s loud swallowing to his left.  
Raph took his position, and Venus unsheathed her blunt daggers, but stood leisurely to inspect them casually. She seemed at perfect ease, it taunted Raph even more.  
“Hajimer.”  
At the command Raph sprinted towards Venus, looking like an unstoppable bulldozer. He roared, and raised both of his sais in rage to make a scissoring motion, as if to cut her in half. Leo forced his eyes to stay open.  
In the last second, Venus moved towards him. She only had time to take two steps before Raph lashed out against her. With impossible speed and agility, she avoided the attack by sliding down on her knees, bending backwards so low his sais missed her completely. She continued her motion in one flow, hitting both of his feet with her right arm to make him lose balance, spun around to slash across the back of his thighs with her left dagger, and rose to stab him in the neck with her right as he simultaneously braced the hard landing with both his arms. She stopped the blade an inch from his skin, then Sensei called Yamu. Her single attack had not taken more than two seconds, all in all the sparring had lasted less than ten. An unbeatable new record.  
Donnie’s and Mikey’s and his own mouths were probably gaping as much as Raph’s when the combatants stood up to receive their feedback. Leo played it back in his head. All Venus had done had been deliberate; the comment, the tone of her voice and her body language, knowing what effect it would have on Raph and how she could work it to her advantage. Very smart, very cunning. He was duly impressed.  
Raph was still in shock when he returned to his spot, wearing a blank expression. It was so profound he was still affected by it when it was his time to spar against Mikey, causing him to lose that round as well, sealing the day’s session as historical.  
Nearing its end the purple-, red- and orange-clad turtles had won one round each. Both Donnie and Mikey looked satisfied with their score, but Leo could have sworn the black clouds over Raph’s head were visible. Leo and Venus had won all of theirs when they were called to face each other in the final heat.  
During the last two rounds, Leo had gone through his breathing exercises again to prime his focus. His eyes had observed Venus closely during her sparring, storing as much as he could of her tactics in the back of his mind before he would face her himself.   
As they took their positions, Leo could feel her observe him. She was clever enough to realise that he was more prepared than the others had been, and appeared to be more careful in choosing her strategy. He took in her stance: the feet were firmly planted on the mat. His gaze wandered upwards, passed the leafy pattern on her thigh, noticed how her slow breathing made her chest rise, and got stuck in her stare. It was determined, and the black lines around her eyes made it more intense, almost mesmerising, like deep grey wells that…  
‘Focus’, Leo scolded himself. He cloaked himself in a mindset that resembled a light version of meditation, and held it tight.  
“Hajimer!” Sensei called.  
None of them attacked immediately, instead they both circled each other, on the lookout for an opening. Eventually Venus was the first to lash out, but Leo blocked all of the three attacks before they both resumed the circling. He took his turn, but she blocked them just as well. It went on like this for a couple of minutes, then she upgraded her attacks by adding acrobatic jumps and slides that forced him to shift position and sometimes roll out of the way. His instincts saved him more than once. He made his own attempts to get her, but she was extremely hard to pin down, not letting herself get lured into a position where he could use his superior strength against her.   
She intensified her attacks, making them faster and with less opportunities to rest in between. He noticed how he gradually became slower in his blocks, and realised with horror that she’d noticed too. He had to take her out soon or not at all.   
Leo threw everything he got at her, and she responded with the same. The clinking from their crossing blades echoed loudly in the dojo as they moved back and forth. They both tried their most technically demanding attacks and started to use the walls in advanced acrobatic moves to charge at each other from new angels. Several times she ducked out of the way in the last nanosecond, but he was in trouble too as he made more mistakes the more tired he became, earning himself many narrow escapes. One of these mistakes cost him one of his katanas as she managed to kick it out of his hand. She was careful not to let him near it on the floor in order for him to retrieve it. He placed both of his hands on the remaining handle and grit his teeth.   
After more rounds of attacks he finally managed to land a kick of his own in her torso that sent her staggering backwards, and he charged at her with full speed. He saw her eyes widen before she hastily reached for something in one of her hidden pockets in her cloth, it was a smoke bomb. A dense cloud of dark, purple mist arose and she was gone. Leo’s experience told him that his opponent would try to get him from behind, so he wheeled around, expecting to find her there. He was wrong. As soon as he realised his mistake, he heard the slightest ruffle from the tree above. Instinct made him throw himself on his knees, bending his head just in time to avoid a couple of daggers aiming for his neck.   
As she missed, Venus flew over him. Leo took the opportunity and grabbed her wrists with his left hand and used his right elbow to force her body to change course in midair. She gave a shout in surprise before he made her land hard on her shell, making her gasp, and quickly used his left knee to keep her down. His right foot pinned down her outstretched left arm, putting it out of use. His own right hand still held his katana which he moved towards her neck, at the same time he had to use his remaining free hand to grab her right that still clenched the dagger to stop it from stabbing him in the side.  
The desperate motion caused him to lose his balance just a fraction, but it was enough to get his face closer to hers than he had intended. Her head was slightly lifted in reaction to the blade against her throat. He could feel the heat of her heavy panting, mirroring his own, and his racing heart.  
“Yamu!”  
The command broke the spell, and the other three who were still kneeling couldn’t help themselves but erupt in elated cheers and awes. At first it had him confused, but then he understood. During the fight Leo had had to stay focused, but realised that this sparring was probably one of the most intense, advanced and thrilling ones that had ever been seen in this dojo, except for the fights with Sensei himself.  
He got up and felt how thoroughly exhausted he was, legs slightly trembling from fatigue. One more minute and she would’ve had him for sure. He looked at Venus who’d sat up and grinned widely at him, she knew that too. He reached down to lend her a hand and pull her up.   
They faced Sensei together who smiled broadly at them.  
“I am very proud of you both. Not only have you showed great skills with the blades, but also intelligent tactics, advanced movements, speed, endurance and excellent reflexes. You won the round Leonardo, but only narrowly since you were very close at earning yourself a fatal wound that would have made you bleed out in due course. A very bold move Venus, in the face of defeat. I am deeply satisfied with your progress.”  
“Thank you Sensei”, they said at the same time.  
Master Splinter took his leave, allowing the others to come forward.  
“Incredible!”  
“So awesome!”  
“That was like… totally epic!”  
“Man, I thought my heart would stop when you ducked at the last moment…”  
“And you almost lost when she swiped for your feet…”  
“Completely nerve wracking!”   
“Where did you learn that jump?”  
Leo was overwhelmed by their praise and brisk pats on the shell since he still hadn’t caught his breath yet. Venus beamed at the credit, and didn’t seem to have the same problem as she gladly responded to their exclamations. Her stamina was truly remarkable.  
“We need to celebrate this, pizza’s on me!” Raph called out, causing Mikey to cheer and dived out to make the order. The others followed, still in high spirits and chatting away. Leo fell behind to retrieve the blunt katana that he’d dropped to put them both in the locker and retrieve his own. As he bent down to pick them up he took a moment to lean on his still shaky knees. God, he was tired.  
A movement caught his eye. He hadn’t noticed that Venus had fallen behind as well. She stood a few feet away with crossed arms and was wearing a slightly amused expression.  
“What’s wrong Leo? I hope I didn’t make you lose your breath”, she chuckled. Leo looked down in embarrassment, not wanting her to see how close to the truth she actually was.   
But at the same time he desperately wanted to tell her what was really on his mind. His heart began to race again, it shouldn’t be that hard, yet it was harder than anything he’d ever done.   
‘Just be brave’, he thought. He took a deep breath. He sheathed his katanas and walked towards her.  
“I’ll admit it, Ve…” he said and stepped up to her, maybe a little to close, and forced himself to look her straight in the eye as he lowered his voice, “... I’m not unaffected by you.”  
Something in her gaze shifted, but he couldn’t interpret it. Did she understand? Would she…  
“There you are! Are you guys coming or what? Pizza’s almost here!” Raph exclaimed. He went over to them to lay an arm around Leo first, then Venus to lead them out of the dojo while talking excitedly. He had no choice but to follow.   
Mikey had already opened the first box and Donnie had fetched drinks for them all. The three brothers were still elated after the sparring session and seemed oblivious to the somewhat more quiet turtle in blue. Venus was drawn into the conversation where she turned into her usual talkative self, laughing and giggling. Occasionally Leo thought her gaze turned to him, but he wasn’t sure and he didn’t have the courage to look back at her.   
When Venus had finished her pizza she got up and announced that it was time for her to get home, she still hadn’t seen her father since they got back to New York. The guys made disappointed sounds, but of course they understood.  
“Will you be out tonight?” Donnie asked. Leo looked up.  
“I don’t know... it depends on father. I want to make sure he’s okay, but he usually goes to bed early so…” she paused when she met Leo’s eye, her gaze was inscrutable, “...maybe.”   
“Well, if you do, we’ll probably be in the skate park”, Donnie said.  
They waved goodbye and watched her walk out of the lair.  
Hours later Donnie, Raph and Mikey prepared to go out. The tallest of them turned to Leo.  
“Are you coming with us?”  
“Actually no, I’m still weary. I might join you later, not sure though.” He hoped it sounded casual.  
“Suit yourself, give us a call if you change your mind.”  
“I will.”  
Leo watched his brothers walk down the tunnels, and was left alone with his roaring thoughts. He began to pace the lair back and forth. A million scenarios went through his head, all with very different outcomes. The more he thought about it, the more he became a nervous wreck, and soon he was unable to think straight at all. It was torture. After only half an hour he couldn’t stand it anymore. He jogged down the tunnels to find the nearest manhole.  
Once on the surface he hastily climbed the nearest building. The fresh air helped to clear his mind, at least for a few seconds. Should he call her? And say what? Should he go there and tap on her bedroom window? No, he sure would never be brave enough for that... Still without a plan he headed in the direction of their apartment anyway.  
When he was only a couple of blocks away he came to a halt. He saw her, standing alone and facing away from him on a lower rooftop. He recognised it as the building where he’d caught her on her first encounter with the Footbots.  
His heart began to race, and he found it hard to breathe. Why was she out here alone? Did that mean that she’d understood what he’d been trying to say? And what did she think of it? Leo started to panic and buried his face in his palms, trying to calm down.   
‘Just do it!’ an internal voice urged him.   
He took several deep breaths, backed up a little, and ran to make the jump over the gap…

Venus was leaning on her arms on the railings at the edge of the rooftop. She was looking down at the spot were Leo had saved her for what seemed a long time ago. She had come here to straighten out her thoughts, but it had had the opposite effect.   
When she’d gotten home she’d been overjoyed at seeing her father again and they’d embraced each other in a tearful reunion. They’d talked for a long time, but Venus had noticed how tired he was, and he’d admitted it. Taka had waved her concerns away explaining that he was just tired from staying up later than usual. He’d gladly accepted her help to get into bed and promised that they would continue their talk the following morning. Once her father had gone to sleep other thoughts had crept up to occupy her mind. That was when she’d decided to come out here, for all the good it had turned out to do her.  
What had Leo meant by what he’d said? Did he really like her that way, or had she misunderstood? More importantly, did she want him to like her?   
Ever since that night when she’d overheard Leo talking to Mikey she’d locked that hope away deeply within her, and had ruthlessly trampled all that even resembled that train of thought. But now six little words had opened a crack in that hidden door, threatening to slam it open with full force if she let it, and it scared her more than anything.  
What if she was wrong? What if she allowed herself to feel all these things and he didn’t feel the same? It would ruin everything they had beyond repair, and it would affect the others as well. She couldn’t bare the thought of losing her family...  
And then there was the fear.  
The fear of Rejection. And Betrayal. Her mind new fully well that Leo wasn’t Zeth, he would never do what he’d done, but the heart was harder to convince. That was a scar she wasn’t sure she’d ever get rid off.  
And yet, she couldn’t ignore the tingling she felt just by thinking of him, the increase in heart rate, the warmth that spread... She shook her head mildly. What a mess she was.  
A thudding just a few yards away made her spin around, and her heart almost stopped at the sight in front of her. It was Leo…   
Crouching after landing, he looked up at her. Venus scanned the spot where he’d come from for signs of the others. But there were none.  
“Leo..”, was all that came out.  
“Hey”, he said and stood up.  
“Why are you here?” she blurted out, not knowing what else to say. Leo twisted uncomfortably.  
“I hoped you already knew…” he said in an awkward voice.  
Her heart started to pound viciously against her plastron. She tensed up and her hand clasped the railings. Leo hesitated, for a few seconds he only looked at her. Then he slowly raised his hands to grab his katanas and pulled them out. Just as slowly he bent down and lowered his weapons until he could place them on the rooftop.  
Venus relaxed her hand, and her shoulders lowered themselves a little. Leo took a step forward, a step that caused a hundred butterflies to flutter around in her stomach, not knowing that he felt exactly the same.  
He got closer, eyes locked in hers. With every step Venus’ trembling got worse, almost shaking when he came to a halt less than three feet away.   
Then he took another step.  
She gasped as she simultaneously lifted her head to keep eye contact.   
He was only inches away from her now.  
Heat emanated from their bodies, warm breath fanned their cheeks. He leaned in, she closed her eyes.  
Their lips met.  
The kiss was feathery soft, but the contact sent a warmth to their stomachs that exploded into bolts that shot through their limbs all the way out to their fingers and toes. They broke apart and inhaled sharply, looking deep into each other's’ eyes.  
Leo slammed his lips onto hers again, and Venus responded with equal force. His arm went around her shell to press her plastron flush against his, while the other sought the back of her head. Her arms shot up to tangle around his neck, and got on her toes to add pressure into the passionate kiss.  
Eventually they broke it to come up for air. They loosened their grips a little but still held on, both blushing violently. Not knowing what to say the silence grew almost uncomfortable. Leo swallowed, and Venus began to shift her gaze.  
Suddenly heavy thunder rolled over the sky, causing them both to jump. Small drops of water hit their faces, making them look upwards. The stars were hidden behind heavy clouds that soon would unleash their burden upon them. Leo looked back at her.  
“We should find cover”, he said. Venus only nodded and let him take her hand as they sprinted first to retrieve his weapons, then across rooftops to find some kind of shelter. The rain fell more rapidly with each second, and it didn’t take long until Leo dived under a smaller water cistern with boards on two sides. It wasn’t the ideal shelter, but it was better than getting soaked. Venus dived after him and sat down in the corner where he’d already taken place. A gust of wind cast cold, heavy drops into their cover, causing Venus to press herself away from its range and found herself huddling up against Leo. They glanced at each other and blushed again. Their hands lay next to each other on the concrete, and it took them awhile before any of them found the courage to fumble for the other’s, but eventually they had their fingers braided and heads leaning against each other.   
Butterflies fluttered like crazy inside Venus, but she could tell that Leo was nervous too. Eventually she broke the silence.  
“How long… how long have you thought of doing that?” she asked. Leo cleared his throat.  
“A lot longer than I’d care to admit…” he croaked, it made her smile shyly.   
“So… what changed?” she groped.  
“April talked some sense into me.”  
“April?”  
“Yeah…” he chuckled, “... guess I have to thank her for that.” He slowly stroked his thumb over hers repeatedly, it felt good.  
“I’m curious of what kind if sense you needed”, Venus said honestly. The nervousness crept back into Leo’s voice.  
“I… ehm… I was afraid that you might... fall in love with one of the others… and I…” he trailed off. She couldn’t help her giggles.  
“Raph or Donnie? Or Mikey!?!” More giggling. “No Leo, wonderful and irritating as they are, they’ll always be my brothers”, she explained with a fond smile.  
“I didn’t think I was different”, he said. Venus looked up at him.  
“You are to me… you’ve always been”, she said while blushing.  
Suddenly Leo leaned in for a kiss, and Venus drew back in surprise. Leo hesitated, looking alarmed that he’d done something wrong.  
“Sorry!.. I just…”, she exclaimed.  
“If you don’t want…” he drew back as well, turning away, but Venus grabbed his arms and forced him to face her again.  
“Leo, listen. I want to… It’s just...” she pressed her forehead against his and drew a deep breath. “I’m scared. All of this is knew to me and I feel so… v-vulnerable. Y-you kn-know what happened the last time I thought a guy tried to k-kiss me…” she said in a trembling voice. Leo gently laid his arms around her.  
“Yeah, I know… I’m sorry.”  
“You don’t have to be, but maybe we can… take it very slow? And… give me fair warning before you do anything like that?” she said while blushing more violently. Leo smiled and moved one of his hands to the side of her neck, caressing her cheek with his thumb. She leaned in to his touch and felt his warm breath meet her own.  
“Like this?” he asked.  
“Yes…” she breathed.  
They kissed, slowly, without any sudden movements, making her head spin around.  
Afterwards they cuddled in each other’s arms, enjoying the shared body heat as they sat and waited for the rain to stop. Another thing came to her mind.  
“How will we tell the others?” Leo hesitated before he said anything.  
“Am I a terrible person if I say that I want to keep this to ourselves for a little bit?” he said cautiously.  
Venus laughed as she understood what he meant. She could easily imagine Raph pretending to puke, Donnie’s blank stare as he tried to figure out the logic how it had happened and Mikey howling all across the lair as he hailed them with a thousand inappropriate questions.  
“Maybe a few days won’t hurt”, she agreed.  
They sat for a little while longer until the rain ceased almost completely.   
“I have to get back home”, she said.  
“I know, me too”, he sighed before they both unwillingly climbed out of their shelter, lingering on the spot as if to find an excuse to just hold each other a little longer.  
Eventually Leo followed her home and climbed down to the window with her to say goodbye. She saw how he sat on the window sill, hesitating. He was so cute...  
“Venus, can I…”  
She lifted herself up on her toes to peck a kiss on his lips. It felt quite good to be the one surprising him.  
“Goodnight Leo”, she whispered.  
“Goodnight…” he answered feebly. He almost missed the edge on his way up.


	25. Revealing secrets

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Leo and Venus is seeing each other secretly for a few days before they plan to tell Sensei and their brothers about their relationship. Leo is a little reluctant since he knows it'll be a little embarrassing, but he has more important worries that haunts his mind.

The day after their first kiss Venus came in later than usual. She had spent the morning with Mr Hayashi, making it almost noon before she’d made an appearance in the lair.  
Leo had occupied himself with an extensive training session in the dojo where he’d relived that magic moment in his head again and again without any of the others noticing. Every time he’d paused an exercise the taste of her lips had invaded his consciousness, making his knees weak and the internal lion roar in triumph. Afterwards he’d made a point of avoiding his brothers’ company as much as he could without raising suspicions so he wouldn’t get caught daydreaming.  
When he finally had managed to build up some sort of control, Venus bulldozed it to pieces in mere seconds when she came into the living area, shooting him a shy smile which he returned. Fortunately nobody noticed.  
They didn’t get the chance to talk alone since Mikey claimed most of her company and both Raph and Donnie were elated at having her around again. When Leo couldn’t stand it anymore he sent her a text from across the couch.  
‘When can I C U again?’ Venus’ T-phone vibrated, and she giggled quietly to herself as she shot him a careful glance while sitting next to Raph.  
‘Im right here, in case U haven’t noticed ;)’, was her reply. Leo groaned inwardly at her teasing.  
‘U know what I mean!!’, more giggling.  
‘Im going home right after practise, perhaps I’ll forget my T-phone…’  
“What’s so funny?” Raph asked.  
“Nothing, just April…” Venus lied.  
No more than five minutes after the session with Sensei Leo grabbed her T-phone that she’d left in the kitchen and sprinted down the sewers after he’d given a hasty explanation to Donnie where he was going.  
They had few precious opportunities like these which never lasted long, it was hard to come up with excuses where they could meet up. It was easiest to see each other early in the mornings when the others were still asleep and Leo waited for her at the bottom of the ladder to the manhole she used. Other than that they only got short moments in the lair when they happened to be alone in the same room. These moments consisted of briefly braided fingers and stolen kisses before anyone else came in. It was risky, and once Casey had almost walked in on them when he came on a surprise visit.  
But the hardest part for Leo was to restrain himself. Bursting with happiness that her feelings were mutual he wanted nothing more than to lock her in his embrace at all times and further explore every tiny reaction to his lips meeting hers. But he had to contain most of his eagerness since Venus was still getting used to the new situation. Hugs, stroking along the arms and caressing cheeks were met with equal enthusiasm, but every time he wanted to kiss her she grew a little nervous, and he had to go slowly not to scare her away. Sometimes he had to hold onto pipes, the manhole ladder or a table top when approaching her to make sure he didn’t grow too intense.

Some days later, Leo was sitting in the kitchen tapping his fingers restlessly against the table top when Venus came in, early as they’d agreed.  
“Hey, no morning tea?” she said as she walked over to him.  
“Nah, I’m too nervous”, he said. Venus grabbed his hands.  
“Well, that’s contradictory, you’re always preaching about the calming effect”, she winked at him. It made him chuckle.  
“Another evidence of how nervous I am.” He flashed a smile, but soon his gaze fell downwards and a crease appeared on his forehead.  
He felt Venus pull at him to get him closer, he didn’t resist. She got in front of him and searched his face for the source of his mood, but she couldn’t determine it.  
“Why are you downhearted?” she asked in a low voice. “You’ve been trying to postpone telling Sensei about us, and I can’t help wondering why. It feels like you don’t want to be with me...”  
He gripped her underarms at this, now it was his turn to pull her closer.  
“That couldn’t be any farther from the truth”, he whispered, laying his forehead against hers and closed his eyes. He took in her scent, it was intoxicating.  
“Then what’s wrong?” she urged. Leo took a deep breath.  
“I’m worried Sensei won’t approve.” Venus looked confused.  
“Why wouldn’t he?” He made an attempt to explain.  
“Historically there haven’t been a lot of female warriors. Even though I’m sure there were several practical reasons, one of them must have been to avoid romantic couples on the field. To care for someone like that gives you a major weakness that the enemy can exploit.”  
Venus didn’t make any response, apparently she hadn’t had that thought before as she now gazed at him with the confusion slowly turning into mild concern. But Leo had mulled over it a million times. He’d never disobeyed Sensei on important matters, but if Master Splinter forbade them to be together, he couldn’t…  
“Hey... no worrying until we have to...”, she said softly as she lifted her hands to his face. She used her fingers to slowly smooth out the wrinkles he’d made, first on his forehead, then continued down under his eyes and his cheeks. With no one else awake in the lair, he instantly leaned into her touch, sighing with content. He loved every time she did that.  
“Maybe you’re right...”  
With his right hand he reached behind her back for her braid, and slowly let it slip between his fingers at her front, at the same time he looked down into her marvelous eyes. God, she was beautiful...  
He put his other hand at the side of her neck with his thumb tracing her jaw bone all the way to her lip and back, causing her to shudder with delight. A shudder that transmitted into a bolt through Leo. He leaned down, carefully tilting her head upwards…  
“Leonardo, Venus, in the dojo. Now!”  
They jumped apart, both quite startled. None of them had seen or heard Sensei approach, but before they could react he had already turned his back on them and was walking at a brisk pace back towards the dojo. Venus gave him an uncertain look, but there wasn’t really any options. Leo took a steadying breath before he followed his father.  
Inside the dojo Sensei stood with his back towards the door, silent. They both assumed their usual kneeling positions and waited, they knew better than to speak unless spoken to.  
After what seemed like ages Master Splinter turned towards them with hands behind his back.  
“Leonardo, is there something you wish to tell me?” Every word came out as a lash, and the teenage turtle winced.  
“Hai, Sensei…” he replied in a low voice.  
“Then let me hear it.”  
“I want to ask for your approval to be in a relationship with Venus, Sensei.”  
“I see, and for how long have you been seeing each other?”  
“Four days…”  
“Leonardo…”  
“It’s true Sensei!” he protested.  
“It really is Sensei…” Venus filled in. Master Splinter stroked his beard as he considered their answers.  
“That may be true. But how long would you have continued to secretly see each other without telling me or your brothers if I hadn’t found out now?”  
“We were planning on coming to you this very morning.”  
“Is that so?” he said with one raised eyebrow. Leo was desperate to explain himself.  
“We were! I’m sorry Sensei, we should’ve come sooner, it’s just that… that…”  
“Just what!?”  
“... I’m terrified that you won’t approve!” he sputtered.  
Leo lowered his head, feeling the silence grow and waiting for the axe to fall. For a minute nobody said anything, two minutes…  
“In that case, you have my approval.”  
Leo looked up with his mouth hanging open. Sensei was smiling at him, first a fond smile, then an amused smile at his gaping expression. He even chuckled deep in his throat with twinkling eyes.  
“But… I thought…”  
“You thought I would forbid you to be together? No, that would not serve any purpose. Besides, it would be easier to prevent a natural disaster than to stop the force of nature.”  
“But you were angry when you saw us…” Venus said hesitantly next to him.  
“I was angry because you had concealed your relationship. Concealing something that important inevitably leads to lies and dangerous strains in a group that heavily relies on trust.”  
Leo considered his words, he was right of course, but one question still haunted his mind.  
“I thought you would disapprove since relationships makes us weaker in combat.”  
“Ah, that is a misconception”, Sensei briskly stated. He held up a finger to prove his point: “Let me ask you this Leonardo: do you love your brothers?”  
“More than anything”, he said without missing a beat.  
“And has that ever been to your disadvantage?”  
“.... no”, was the simple answer. Sensei smiled at him.  
“There is your proof. Love only makes you stronger as it gives you a solid purpose to fight harder than you have ever done before where others would give up.”  
Leo grew quiet and looked towards Venus, she met his gaze and smiles crept up into their features as they pondered what they’d heard.  
“I’ve never thought about it that way”, Leo said before he turned his head back up. “But I still worry that it makes us more vulnerable to our enemies.”  
“That is also true as well, and once again you prove your wisdom despite your age Leonardo. It is a truth that we have to be well aware of in the heat of battle in order for us to avoid disastrous decisions in critical moments. If you choose to get involved in a relationship with each other I will train you both hard in this ability, especially you Leonardo since you are the leader of the team. Do you understand?”  
“Hai Sensei”, Leo and Venus chanted.  
“Very good, then I only have three other demands before I give you my blessing. First, you need to tell your brothers as soon as possible to eliminate any unnecessary secrets between you. Secondly, you need to go to Taka tonight and receive his blessing as well. Thirdly, I demand that the three of us have another meeting in two weeks time here in the dojo.”  
“Hai Sensei.”  
“Sensei, what will the next meeting be about?” Venus asked curiously, but Splinter only smiled at her.  
“You will see when we get there”, he replied and got to his feet. Leo and Venus followed him to the door.  
“Go with my permission, but don’t forget to tell the others!” he reminded them gently before he closed the door and left them just outside. Leo looked towards Venus who beamed happily at him.  
“Well, that wasn’t bad at all. You worried over nothing!” she said.  
“Yeah… but I guess we have to tell Raph, Donnie and Mikey as soon as they…”  
“Tell us what??” came an eager voice behind him which almost made him jump in the air for the second time that morning. He wheeled around and found Mikey and the other two staring at him and Venus with perplexed expressions.  
“Ehrmmm…” was all he could manage, and he felt his cheeks blush violently.  
“Yeah, tell us what?” Donnie filled in curiously, but with a hint of worry.  
“Have you done something wrong?” Raph smirked.  
“Ehm… no…”  
“Oh no, you haven’t eaten the leftover pizza, have you?” Mikey whimpered.  
“Or planned a high risk, secret mission?”  
“Yeah, and ditched us in the process?”  
“No! Nothing like that, we-we-we j-just…. well, you see…” Leo rambled on frantically, unable to find the right words. Venus merely giggled at his side and came to his rescue. She carefully slid her hand into his, and he let her as he grew quiet, nothing he said made any sense anyway.  
For a couple of seconds their brothers stared puzzledly at them, but as soon as Mikey lowered his eyes he gasped out loud.  
“You’re a couple!!!” he exclaimed while pointing towards them.  
“Huh?” Donnie and Raph expressed simultaneously, but their youngest brother was already skipping forward.  
“Oh my god, oh my god, OH MY GOD!!” Mikey cheered as he began to jump around them like an overjoyed puppy, making astonished faces and clasping his head while he beamed at them. It was a kind of attention that made Leo extremely shy. Eventually the purple and red-clad turtles catched on too.  
“You’re a thing?” Donnie asked dumbstruck.  
“Seriously??” Raph gaped.  
“Naaaw, look how CUTE they are together!”  
“But… when? How?”  
“Does that mean you’re gonna smooch each other all over the lair?” the hot head asked somewhat irritably.  
“I can’t believe it! My big brother, and my sister, together!” a jubilant Mikey called out.  
“Well, congrats I guess. I had no idea…” Donnie said with an awkward smile while scratching his head.  
“Well okay, but I just wanna make one thing clear…”  
“Wait, does any of you find that weird?”  
“...but I’m really happy for you…”  
“... you’re my brother Leo, but if you hurt her feelings, I’ll break your bones!”  
“So Ve, is he a good kisser..?”  
When Mikey batted his eyelashes at Venus Leo gripped her hand more firmly and fled. He dragged her along to his room and shut the door behind them with burning cheeks. Jeez, he hoped he would regain his normal color someday...  
He turned to Venus who was busy studying his room.  
“Well, that went as expected” he said to break the silence.  
“Yeah, more or less…” she grinned, but he could tell that she was nervous.  
“I think they’ll calm down in an hour or two” he tried soothingly, but she shook her head slightly.  
“I’m not bothered by Mikey, Donnie and Raph.”  
“Then what’s wrong?” Her eyes wandered from here to there as she too began to blush.  
“Oh, it’s just… I’ve never been in a boyfriend’s room before…”  
Then it hit him; he had a girl in his room! He swallowed.  
“I’ve never had a girlfriend in my room either…”  
A small giggle escaped her as she slowly walked around the space, fingering on the neat pile of books and trinkets that lay around his desk.  
“Girlfriend… I like the sound of that”, she said smiling. Encouraged he edged closer to embrace her with his plastron to her carapace and leaned his head down to rest it on her neck. She responded with bending her head backwards with a deep sigh. Soon she turned around to face him instead, reaching up to wrap her arms around his neck and nuzzled him. They kissed, and Leo felt her respond when he carefully pressed her plastron against his. His heart fluttered.  
“Can I… can I try something?” he whispered with his mouth only inches from hers. She nodded.  
Leo kissed her slowly again, and parted his lips a fraction to let his tongue gently glide over hers, seeking permission. She gave it, and their tongues met. Venus inhaled sharply and Leo’s head started to spin. He added just a little pressure and she responded with opening her mouth wider, letting him explore further. He delved deeper, and rolled his tongue against hers, it felt amazing. He pressed himself against her body, making her take a step backwards and hit the wall. Still he pressed on as he felt her breathing increase, and his mouth claimed hers again. He couldn’t get enough of her, it was like…  
“Wow, you’re really digging deep bro, like it’s an excavation site.”  
Leo and Venus whipped around and found Donnie smirking at them in the doorway, with Raph making a face and Mikey shuddering with contained laughter behind him.  
“GUYS!” Leo roared.  
“I think I’ll might throw up…” Raph gruffed.  
“Aww, come on guys, they’re in love! This is what they’ll do now, like all the time…” Mikey chirped before he started making kissing faces.  
“GET OUT” he bellowed, and lunged forward to slam the door in their hysterically laughing faces. He used his desk chair to make sure it stayed in place this time. He sighed, he would NEVER regain his normal color on his face. He felt Venus glide over to him.  
“I guess we’ll have to get used to that…” she said awkwardly. She too had a burning face.  
“Probably…” he mumbled before he glanced at her.  
“Was he right?... D’you think it was… too much?” he asked anxiously. Venus bit her lip before she answered.  
“No… I liked it…” she said in a low, embarrassed voice before she glanced back at him. It caused new bolts to explode in his gut, and he pulled her close again.  
“Really?”  
“Yes…” she said shyly, “...and that rolling you did, it was amazing…” He smiled as he lowered his head.  
“Like this?...” he whispered.

 

The End


End file.
